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Natural hazard risk in Walton County, Florida

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

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Moderate (score 88.5 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$68.4 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1975
42[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$68.5 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
68[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural hazard risk for Walton County, Florida as Relatively Moderate, with a score of 88.5 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are hurricane, lightning and tornado[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's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $68.4 million a year[1]. This is a FEMA estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid. FEMA's hazard-type estimates show the largest expected losses come from hurricane at $47.3 million a year, then inland flooding at $11.2 million a year, then tornado at $5.0 million a year[7]. FEMA rates hurricane risk Relatively High compared with other US counties[8]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability Relatively Moderate, which is how susceptible social groups are to harm from natural hazards[9]. FEMA rates Community Resilience Relatively High, which is a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
HurricaneRelatively High$47.3 million[8]
LightningRelatively High$1.7 million[11]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$5.0 million[12]
WildfireRelatively Low$255,000[13]
Heat WaveRelatively Low$808,000[14]
Inland FloodingRelatively Low$11.2 million[15]
Coastal FloodingRelatively Moderate$605,000[16]
Cold WaveRelatively Low$947,000[17]
EarthquakeVery Low$209,000[18]
LandslideVery Low$897[19]
Strong WindRelatively Low$377,000[20]
DroughtVery Low$7,250[21]
Winter WeatherVery Low$19,000[22]
Ice StormVery Low$13,000[23]
HailVery Low$48,000[24]

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

Social vulnerability and community resilience

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

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Moderate51.6[9]
Community resilienceRelatively High60.6[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates coastal flooding risk Relatively Moderate and inland flooding risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties[16][15]. OpenFEMA lists 8,647 residential flood insurance contracts in force, as of 2026-08-03[26]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 70.3% of homes are insured[26]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims data lists 3,174 claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $68.5 million in total[3]. For the flood zone of a specific address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[15] Relatively Low, $11.2 million expected loss a year
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[16] Relatively Moderate, $605,000 expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 8,647 of 42,368 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 4,608, of which 3,240 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 3,174 filed, $68.5 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 42 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Walton County since 1975, and 23 of them were for hurricanes[2]. The most recent is DR-4955-FL for Hurricane Isaias, declared 2026-10-27[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 68 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4]. The strongest were rated F3, most recently on 1967-12-10[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Walton County, since 1975
Incident type Declarations
Hurricane[2] 23
Severe Storm[2] 6
Fire[2] 5
Flood[2] 4
Tropical Storm[2] 4
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4955-FL[28] Hurricane Isaias 2026-10-27
EM-3655-FL[28] Hurricane Isaias 2026-10-09
DR-4828-FL[28] Hurricane Helene 2024-09-28
EM-3615-FL[28] Tropical Storm Helene 2024-09-24
DR-4806-FL[28] Hurricane Debby 2024-08-10

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.

Hurricanes

Before

  • Know your hurricane risk, including rain, wind and tornadoes far inland from landfall.
  • Learn your evacuation zone and routes, and practice them with your household and pets.
  • Keep insurance policies and ID current, with password-protected digital copies.
  • Clear drains and gutters, bring in outdoor furniture and consider hurricane shutters.
  • Keep your phone charged, buy backup chargers and gather supplies, including medication and pet supplies.

During

  • If you are in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials order an evacuation, leave right away.
  • For high winds, take shelter in a designated storm shelter or an interior room.
  • If you are trapped by flooding, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, hurricanes

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Questions people ask

Is Walton County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates coastal flooding risk Relatively Moderate and inland flooding risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties[16][15]. FEMA's flood map tool gives the flood zone for a specific address[27].
Is Walton County at risk of hurricanes?
FEMA rates hurricane risk Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a score of 97.3 out of 100[8]. FEMA estimates hurricane Expected Annual Loss at $47.3 million a year[8].
Does Walton County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 68 tornadoes touching Walton County from 1950 to 2024[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[12].
Is Walton County at risk of earthquakes or wildfire?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Very Low and wildfire risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties[18][13].
How many disasters have been declared in Walton County?
OpenFEMA lists 42 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Walton County since 1975[2].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Walton County is $68.4 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Moderate, score 87.5). Of this, buildings account for $58.5 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $9.5... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 42 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Walton County since 1975 (25 major disaster, 17 emergency or fire management). By incident type: hurricane 23, severe storm 6, fire 5, flood 4, tropical storm 4. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 3,174 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Walton County, 1,920 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $68.5 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid).... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 68 recorded tornadoes touched Walton County. The strongest were rated F3 (most recent of them on 1967-12-10). 1 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-05-13. 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 Walton County is Relatively Moderate, with a Risk Index score of 88.5 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 Walton County are hurricane (97.3, Relatively High), lightning (95.1, Relatively High), tornado (85.6, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores;... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Walton County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are hurricane ($47.3 million a year), inland flooding ($11.2 million a year), tornado ($5.0 million a year), out of $68.4 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $47.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.24 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for... FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Walton County is Relatively Moderate (score 51.6). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Walton County is Relatively High (score 60.6). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 95.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.7 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 83.28 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 85.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $5.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.03 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 75.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $255,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0014 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 69.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $808,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 6.03 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 68.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $11.2 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.43 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26... FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 62.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $605,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 2.0562 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 52.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $947,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.89 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Walton County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 46.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $209,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.001 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Walton County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 45.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $897 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Walton County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 39.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $377,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.63 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Walton County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 22.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $7,250 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 20.61 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Walton County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 22.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $19,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.29 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Walton County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 18.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.04 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Walton County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 15.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $48,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.95 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Walton County: avalanche, 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 possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 8,647 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Walton County, out of 42,368 residential structures, a penetration rate of 20.4%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 4,608 residential structures and 3,240 contracts,... 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.