Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Lee County, AL

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
01081
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2031-05-27. Plan: Division D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555), approved 2026-05-28.

Since the plan was approved on 2026-05-28: no new hazard declaration and 3 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($24,884,762 a year), Heat Wave ($3,520,698) and Tornado ($3,108,040).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2031-05-27
Plan:
Division D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555)
Approved:
2026-05-28
Days to expiry:
1,700

What changed since your last plan (approved 2026-05-28)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
3 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 5
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Lee County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2031-05-27Division D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555)2026-05-282031-05-271,700this jurisdiction approved 2026-07-09
Auburn cityCityPlan 111555 approved 2026-05-28, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDivision D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555), pending adoption here2026-05-28 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-05-27 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Loachapoka townTownPlan 111555 approved 2026-05-28, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDivision D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555), pending adoption here2026-05-28 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-05-27 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Opelika cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-27Division D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555)2026-05-282031-05-271,700this jurisdiction approved 2026-07-17
Smiths Station cityCityPlan 111555 approved 2026-05-28, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDivision D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555), pending adoption here2026-05-28 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-05-27 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Waverly townTownApproved, expires 2031-05-27Division D (East Alabama Regional) (FEMA plan 111555)2026-05-282031-05-271,700this jurisdiction approved 2026-08-31

Plan 111555 lists 57 other participants not on this page, 30 of them not covered by it yet (named in the Excel file).

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$24,762,454$11,885$110,423$24,884,76228
2Heat WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$144$1,077$3,519,477$3,520,6987
3TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,270,501$660$1,836,879$3,108,04036
4HurricaneRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$2,291,142$87,316$133,838$2,512,2976Includes 2 Tropical Depression records (outside NRI's Hurricane definition).
5EarthquakeRelatively LowRelatively Low$1,348,424n/a$560,579$1,909,003Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
6LightningRelatively HighRelatively High$105,366n/a$1,114,499$1,219,86515
7Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$161,756$2,486$1,027,500$1,191,742157Includes 1 High Wind and 7 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
8DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderaten/a$868,122n/a$868,12273
9HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$341,509$17,434$251,278$610,222111
10WildfireRelatively LowRelatively Low$162,473$67$42,240$204,7800No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
11Cold WaveVery LowRelatively Low$28$14,540$155,344$169,9126Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
12Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$123,111n/a$2,687$125,7982
13Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$19,798$57$10,860$30,71512
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$728n/a$102$8300No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 407 (Relatively Moderate, 82.0); tract 416 (Relatively Low, 75.9); tract 413 (Relatively Low, 72.5)
Hurricanetract 407 (Relatively Moderate, 83.2); tract 416 (Relatively Moderate, 79.1); tract 421.04 (Relatively Moderate, 79.0)
Landslidetract 419.01 (Relatively Low, 84.6); tract 420.02 (Relatively Low, 81.7); tract 410.02 (Very Low, 81.0)
Tornadotract 407 (Relatively Moderate, 71.4); tract 420.02 (Relatively Moderate, 66.1); tract 421.04 (Relatively Moderate, 65.2)
Wildfiretract 421.04 (Relatively Moderate, 90.3); tract 417.03 (Relatively Low, 87.2); tract 411.03 (Relatively Low, 86.0)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 407 is Census Tract 407). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill4 records, 1996 to 2014 (4 zone-level)2 days to 4 days (median 2.5 days); 4 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 1996-03-07 to 1996-03-10, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage2 records, 2007 (2 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 2 records.Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)73 records, 2006 to 2026 (73 zone-level)8 days to 897 days (median 156 days); 7 with a recorded value897 days (about 29.5 months), 2010-09-14 to 2013-02-26, a run of 36 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)128 records, 1965 to 20250.75 in to 3 in (median 1 in); 128 with a recorded value3 in hail, 2013-03-18Hail, 2003-04-25, $250,000 property; $0 crops (2003 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Opelika city (28 records), Auburn city (21 records), Loachapoka town (8 records), Smiths Station city (7 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)7 records, 1996 to 2025 (7 zone-level)1 day to 16 days (median 3 days); 5 with a recorded value16 consecutive days, 2007-08-08 to 2007-08-23, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat records from November to March (unseasonable warmth, not a heat wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson6 records, 2005 to 2020 (6 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Tropical Storm record, 2005-07-10, $35,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars); NWS zone ALZ047Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)2 records, 2005 to 2011 (2 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2005-01-29, $25,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars); NWS zone ALZ047Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)28 records, 1998 to 2026 (1 zone-level)Flood, 2003-05-08, $1,750,000 property; $100,000 crops (2003 dollars); NWS zone ALZ047Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Auburn city (6 records), Loachapoka town (1 record). Zone-level records (1) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)15 records, 1996 to 2024Lightning, 2024-07-20, $0 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars), 1 direct deathLightning, 2008-07-22, $100,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Auburn city (6 records), Opelika city (3 records).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)8 records, 2004 to 2024 (8 zone-level)33 kt (38 mph) to 60 kt (69 mph) (median 39.5 kt (45 mph)); 8 with a recorded value60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2004-09-16; NWS zone ALZ047Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)215 records, 1966 to 202635 kt (40 mph) to 70 kt (81 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 155 with a recorded value70 kt (81 mph), measurement type not recorded, Thunderstorm Wind, 1996-03-06, 1 direct deathThunderstorm Wind, 1996-03-06, $80,000 property; $10,000 crops (1996 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Auburn city (32 records), Opelika city (23 records), Smiths Station city (9 records), Loachapoka town (8 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)44 records, 1953 to 2025F/EF0 to F/EF4 (median F/EF0); 44 with a recorded valueEF4 tornado, 2019-03-03, 23.55 mi within this county, 1,600 yd wide, $0 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars), 23 direct deaths, 90 direct injuriesTornado, 2011-11-16, $4,000,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Opelika city (6 records), Loachapoka town (2 records), Auburn city (1 record), Smiths Station city (1 record), Waverly town (1 record).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)12 records, 1996 to 2026 (12 zone-level)Winter Storm, 1996-12-18, $15,000 property; $20,000 crops (1996 dollars); NWS zone ALZ047Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 22 declarations covering 18 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2024-09-262024-09-22EM-3618-ALEmergencyHurricane HeleneHurricane (primary); also designated: Tornadono Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 years
2020-09-142020-09-14EM-3545-ALEmergencyHurricane SallyHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-292020-01-20DR-4503-ALMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$5,544,135.22
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3472-ALEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4503
2019-03-052019-03-03DR-4419-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesTornado (primary); also designated: Strong Wind$3,033,910.10
2017-09-112017-09-08EM-3389-ALEmergencyHurricane IrmaHurricane$27,234.93
2016-01-212015-12-23DR-4251-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$498,902.75
2014-05-022014-04-28DR-4176-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$637,110.81
2011-04-282011-04-15DR-1971-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
2011-04-272011-04-27EM-3319-ALEmergencySevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line WindsStrong Wind; Tornadono Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1971
2008-08-302008-08-29EM-3292-ALEmergencyHurricane GustavHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2005-09-102005-08-29EM-3237-ALEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-07-102005-07-10DR-1593-ALMajor disasterHurricane DennisHurricane$56,288.13
2004-09-152004-09-13DR-1549-ALMajor disasterHurricane IvanHurricane$487,646.74
2003-05-122003-05-05DR-1466-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
1995-10-041995-10-04DR-1070-ALMajor disasterHurricane OpalHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
1993-03-151993-03-13EM-3096-ALEmergencySevere Snowfall, Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1980-04-201980-04-20DR-619-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
1977-07-201977-07-20EM-3045-ALEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1975-10-021975-10-02DR-488-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1975-03-141975-03-14DR-458-ALMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1975-01-181975-01-18EM-3007-ALEmergencyTornadoesTornadono Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1961-02-271961-02-27DR-109-ALMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave6000001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records.
Drought731810101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail1280011001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave7012001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane6000701996 to 2026-06-30Includes 2 Tropical Depression records.
Ice Storm2000001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding28107701996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning15001001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind2231836401955 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 High Wind and 7 Strong Wind records.
Tornado44002901950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather12012101996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2024-07-20Lightning$0 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars)1, 0MOTTSwithin last 5 yearsdeaths or injuries recorded
2019-03-03TornadoEF4, 23.55 mi within this county, 1,600 yd wide$0 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars)23, 90BUPREE to STONEWALLdeaths or injuries recorded
2013-03-18Hail3 in$0 property; $0 crops (2013 dollars)0, 0GRIFFEN MILLB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2010-09-14Drought$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2010 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ALZ047 (LEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2007-08-08Heat$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2007 dollars)0, 60NWS zone ALZ047 (LEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2005-07-10Tropical Storm$35,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2005 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ALZ047 (LEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression
2005-01-29Ice Storm$25,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2005 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ALZ047 (LEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
2004-09-16High Wind60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust$1,000,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2004 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ALZ047 (LEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2003-05-08Flood$1,750,000 property; $100,000 crops (zone total, 2003 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ALZ047 (LEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1996-03-07Cold/Wind Chillproperty not reported; $1,000,000 crops (zone total, 1996 dollars)0, 0NWS zone ALZ047 (LEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1996-03-06Thunderstorm Wind70 kt (81 mph), measurement type not recorded$50,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)1, 0OPELIKAB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
1953-04-18TornadoF3, 34.7 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 33 yd wide$2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1953 dollars)6, 195location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (544 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave0.421event-days per yearabout 0.421 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)82005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought51.5event-days per yearabout 51.5 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 12 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (40%)1,7292000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00149annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.149%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail2.66events per yearabout 2.66 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)101.1 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave6.42event-days per yearabout 6.42 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)1002005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.0959events per yearabout 1 in 10 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)301851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.515event-days per yearabout 0.515 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)351946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.821event-days per yearabout 0.821 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 17 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (56.7%)231996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.342events per year (modeled)about 1 in 3 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning66.1days per year with a strikeabout 66.1 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind1.32events per yearabout 1.32 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)511986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.488events per yearabout 1 in 2 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.00152annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.152%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather1.32event-days per yearabout 1.32 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 9 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (30%)252005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202554301.8
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20252300.0667
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025131304.37
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20252300.0667
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20258300.267
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202533301.1
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20251300.0333
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave48 of 4817.119.326.6Relatively Low 25, Very Low 23
Drought11 of 4876.287.999.0Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 5, Very Low 2, No Rating 37
Earthquake48 of 4827.253.782.0Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 33, Very Low 14
Hail48 of 4839.560.479.0Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 42
Heat Wave48 of 4839.971.090.1Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 37, Relatively Low 8
Hurricane48 of 4852.867.983.2Relatively Moderate 4, Relatively Low 44
Ice Storm48 of 486.231.670.2Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 18, Very Low 29
Inland Flooding48 of 481.234.491.1Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 11, Relatively Low 23, Very Low 9
Landslide48 of 489.743.884.6Relatively Low 2, Very Low 46
Lightning48 of 4845.375.494.7Relatively High 21, Relatively Moderate 24, Relatively Low 3
Strong Wind48 of 4835.761.982.3Relatively Moderate 33, Relatively Low 15
Tornado48 of 4832.651.071.4Relatively Moderate 17, Relatively Low 31
Wildfire47 of 4823.875.390.3Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 28, Very Low 18, No Rating 1
Winter Weather48 of 4818.226.544.9Relatively Low 47, Very Low 1

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Lee County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2031-05-27FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$9,448,193.220 total; 0 since its planIncludes $5,458,750.22 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4503-AL).
Auburn cityCityPlan 111555 approved 2026-05-28, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 3$411,744.2566 total; no approved planIncludes $85,385 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4503-AL).
Loachapoka townTownPlan 111555 approved 2026-05-28, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$22519 total; no approved plan
Opelika cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-27FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$339,803.9760 total; 0 since its plan
Smiths Station cityCityPlan 111555 approved 2026-05-28, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$10,477.8717 total; no approved plan
Waverly townTownApproved, expires 2031-05-27FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded1 total; 0 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2026-05-28county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$33,139,216,548$41,702,737173,871$28$14,540$155,344under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$29,883,843n/an/a$868,122n/a2.9% (agriculture)$0NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$58,607,164,189n/a174,241$1,348,424n/a$560,5790.0023%
Hail$33,139,216,548$41,702,737173,871$341,509$17,434$251,2780.00103%
Heat Wave$33,139,216,548$41,702,737173,871$144$1,077$3,519,477under 0.0001%
Hurricane$33,135,148,011$41,702,737173,837$2,291,142$87,316$133,8380.00691%
Ice Storm$33,139,205,722n/a173,871$123,111n/a$2,6870.000371%
Inland Flooding$33,094,426,204$1,415,8742,634$24,762,454$11,885$110,423n/a (see note)$0NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$421,746,137n/a2,403$728n/a$1020.000173%
Lightning$33,139,216,548n/a173,871$105,366n/a$1,114,4990.000318%
Strong Wind$33,139,216,548$41,702,737173,871$161,756$2,486$1,027,5000.000488%$0
Tornado$33,139,216,548$41,702,737173,871$1,270,501$660$1,836,8790.00383%
Wildfire$2,595,315,587$7,216,15925,783$162,473$67$42,2400.00626%
Winter Weather$33,139,216,548$41,702,737173,871$19,798$57$10,860under 0.0001%

Totals since 2026-05-28 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 2 county-coded records, 2 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 1 zone-level records, 1 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population173,871
Building value (total, not at risk)$33,139,216,548
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$41,702,737
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$31,591,079
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$8,765,706
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Moderate
Community resilience ratingRelatively Moderate
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition5Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0050504
of which: Auburn city0030302
of which: Phenix City city (plan jurisdiction listed on the Russell County page)0010101
of which: Lee County (unincorporated area)0010101
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0030300

1 of the county's repeat-flood properties belong to NFIP communities whose plan jurisdiction is not listed on this page (the community rows above name the page that lists it).

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Lee County (unincorporated area)0102500010101
Auburn city0101440030302
Loachapoka town0104140000000
Opelika city0101450000000
Smiths Station city0104910000000
Waverly town0104920000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential0050504
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0000000
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 5 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, 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).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Lee County, AL: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 01081). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/al/01081/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org