Risk Index · Shelby County · 2026-06-13
Memphis, TN real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 99.4/100
- Relatively High
- Expected annual loss
- $555M
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $315M
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 930K
- Shelby County
Memphis, TN (Shelby County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.4/100, rated "Relatively High" and driven mainly by tornado and heat wave, with roughly $555M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Tornado99.8
- Heat wave99.6
- Earthquake99.5
- Riverine flood98.7
- Strong wind87.7
- Wildfire71.1
- Hurricane67.1
- Drought37
- Hail12.8
Each score is the county's percentile against every US county for that hazard (0-100).
What it means for insurance
Severe convective storms (tornado/hail) drive the insurance cost here. Wind/hail deductibles and roof age are what underwriters price, and what's been pushing Midwest/Plains premiums up.
Memphis risk questions
Is Memphis, TN a high-risk area for real estate?
Memphis scores 99.4/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Relatively High" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $555M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in Memphis?
The highest-rated hazard is tornado (99.8/100), followed by heat wave (99.6/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Memphis?
Severe convective storms (tornado/hail) drive the insurance cost here. Wind/hail deductibles and roof age are what underwriters price, and what's been pushing Midwest/Plains premiums up.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (Counties), v1.20 (2026-06-13). Scores are national percentiles (0-100). Insurance commentary is PropHunt's interpretation of the hazard data, not an insurance quote.