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Natural hazard risk in Benton County, Arkansas

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Moderate (score 88.7 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$91.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1969
23[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$9.2 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
57[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates overall natural hazard risk in Benton County, Arkansas as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are ice storm, winter weather and heat wave[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA gives Benton County a Risk Index score of 88.7 out of 100[5]. FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $91.9 million a year[1]. This is an estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid. FEMA's largest hazard-type expected losses are inland flooding ($49.7 million a year), ice storm ($11.4 million a year) and heat wave ($7.1 million a year)[7]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Very Low[8] and community resilience Relatively Moderate[9]. FEMA says its index is not meant to predict next year's damage[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Ice StormVery High$11.4 million[11]
Winter WeatherRelatively High$1.0 million[12]
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$7.1 million[13]
LightningRelatively High$2.1 million[14]
Strong WindRelatively High$3.1 million[15]
WildfireRelatively Moderate$2.6 million[16]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$49.7 million[17]
LandslideRelatively Moderate$52,000[18]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$4.0 million[19]
HailRelatively Moderate$1.2 million[20]
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$4.7 million[21]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$4.7 million[22]
HurricaneVery Low$109,000[23]
DroughtRelatively Low$129,000[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityVery Low16.9[8]
Community resilienceRelatively Moderate43.4[9]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding Relatively Moderate for Benton County, with an Expected Annual Loss of $49.7 million a year[17]. OpenFEMA lists 439 residential flood insurance contracts in force as of 2026-08-03, a penetration rate of 0.4% of 102,138 residential structures[26]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 24% of homes are insured[26]. OpenFEMA's NFIP claims show 338 claims filed for losses from 1978 to 2026, with $9.2 million paid in total[3]. To learn about a specific address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[17] Relatively Moderate, $49.7 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 439 of 102,138 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 1,165, of which 280 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 338 filed, $9.2 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 23 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Benton County since 1969[2]. Severe storm is the most common incident type, with 11 declarations[2]. The most recent in the list was a severe winter storm emergency declared 2026-01-24[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 57 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4]. The most recent was on 2024-11-04[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Benton County, since 1969
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 11
Flood[2] 5
Severe Ice Storm[2] 3
Hurricane[2] 2
Drought[2] 1
Winter Storm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
EM-3636-AR[28] Severe Winter Storm 2026-01-24
EM-3627-AR[28] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2025-04-05
DR-4788-AR[28] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2024-05-30
EM-3541-AR[28] Hurricane Laura 2020-08-27
DR-4318-AR[28] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding 2017-06-15

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Wildfires

Before

  • Sign up for community alerts and watch for air quality alerts.
  • Make sure everyone knows the evacuation plan, including for school, work and other places you go often.
  • Keep a fire-resistant zone of at least 30 feet around your home, clear of leaves and debris.
  • Use fire-resistant building materials and keep a hose long enough to reach every part of your property.
  • Pick a room you can seal off from outside air and keep a portable air cleaner ready.

During

  • Leave right away when authorities tell you to evacuate.
  • If you are trapped, call 9-1-1 with your location and turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
  • If you are not ordered to leave but there is smoke, stay in a safe indoor place or go to a community building with less smoke.

Source: Ready.gov, wildfires

Questions people ask

Is Benton County, Arkansas at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding Relatively Moderate for Benton County compared with other US counties[17]. FEMA estimates its Expected Annual Loss at $49.7 million a year[17].
Does Benton County, Arkansas get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 57 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[22].
Is Benton County, Arkansas at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively Low for Benton County compared with other US counties[19].
How many disasters were declared in Benton County, Arkansas?
OpenFEMA lists 23 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Benton County since 1969[2].
How do I check the flood zone of a home in Benton County?
Look up the address at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[27]. County-level ratings do not show the flood zone of one address[27].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Benton County is $91.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Moderate, score 90.1). Of this, buildings account for $60.3 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $28.1... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 23 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Benton County since 1969 (16 major disaster, 7 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 11, flood 5, severe ice storm 3, hurricane 2, drought 1, winter storm 1. Biological (such as... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 338 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Benton County, 248 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $9.2 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 57 recorded tornadoes touched Benton County. The strongest were rated F3 (most recent of them on 1970-10-08). 2 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-11-04. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Benton County is Relatively Moderate, with a Risk Index score of 88.7 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Benton County are ice storm (99.8, Very High), winter weather (96.2, Relatively High), heat wave (94.7, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores;... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Benton County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($49.7 million a year), ice storm ($11.4 million a year), heat wave ($7.1 million a year), out of $91.9 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Benton County is Very Low (score 16.9). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Benton County is Relatively Moderate (score 43.4). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Benton County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $11.4 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 1.92 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 96.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.0 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 11.26 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 94.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $7.1 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 9.68 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 94.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 57.61 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 93.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 6.28 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 92.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.6 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0059 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 90.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $49.7 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 2.5 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 87.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $52,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 86.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0017 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 82.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.2 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 7.78 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 81.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.7 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.84 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 79.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.7 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.79 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Benton County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 52.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $109,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the Atlantic Basin... FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Benton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 45.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $129,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 10.66 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Benton County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 439 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Benton County, out of 102,138 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.4%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 1,165 residential structures and 280 contracts, a... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.