FEMA National Risk Index hazard
Prepare your home for ice storm
Freezing rain that coats trees and power lines and causes long outages.
536 US counties are rated Relatively High or Very High for ice storm by FEMA’s National Risk Index. The three things that matter most at home: 1. Trim limbs that could fall on the house or the service drop. 2. Plan for a multi-day power outage: heat, water, phone charging. 3. If you own a generator, know how to run it outdoors safely.
Before the season
- Have an arborist look at large limbs over the roof and driveway.
- Learn how to open the garage door manually.
- Keep a battery radio and extra batteries.
When a warning comes
- Charge everything; fill the bathtub for flushing water if you have a well.
- Keep the fridge closed; food stays cold about 4 hours.
- Run a generator only outdoors, at least 20 feet from openings.
After
- Stay away from downed lines and report them.
- Check for roof damage from fallen limbs from the ground.
- Throw out refrigerated food above 40°F for more than 2 hours.
Ask your insurer
Ask whether food spoilage or tree removal is covered after an outage. We explain and organize; we never predict coverage.
Ready.gov: Power outages Checklist: original casaq guidance
Counties with the highest ice storm scores
Top 25 by FEMA NRI risk score for this hazard. Scores and ratings are relative to other US counties, not probabilities of a loss.
| # | County | Rating | Score | Recorded events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red River County, TX | Very High | 100.0 | 78 |
| 2 | Caddo Parish, LA | Very High | 100.0 | 99 |
| 3 | Sevier County, AR | Very High | 99.9 | 32 |
| 4 | Pulaski County, AR | Very High | 99.9 | 74 |
| 5 | Benton County, AR | Very High | 99.9 | 130 |
| 6 | Washington County, AR | Very High | 99.8 | 129 |
| 7 | Oklahoma County, OK | Very High | 99.8 | 80 |
| 8 | Sedgwick County, KS | Very High | 99.8 | 49 |
| 9 | Tulsa County, OK | Very High | 99.7 | 86 |
| 10 | Middlesex County, MA | Very High | 99.7 | 182 |
| 11 | Dallas County, TX | Very High | 99.7 | 83 |
| 12 | Cleveland County, OK | Very High | 99.6 | 88 |
| 13 | Greenville County, SC | Very High | 99.6 | 124 |
| 14 | Harris County, TX | Very High | 99.6 | 61 |
| 15 | Garland County, AR | Very High | 99.5 | 83 |
| 16 | Greene County, MO | Very High | 99.5 | 80 |
| 17 | Craighead County, AR | Very High | 99.5 | 86 |
| 18 | Oakland County, MI | Very High | 99.4 | 122 |
| 19 | Baxter County, AR | Very High | 99.4 | 134 |
| 20 | Bossier Parish, LA | Very High | 99.4 | 103 |
| 21 | Sebastian County, AR | Very High | 99.3 | 89 |
| 22 | Lafayette County, AR | Very High | 99.3 | 64 |
| 23 | Fulton County, AR | Very High | 99.3 | 86 |
| 24 | Izard County, AR | Very High | 99.2 | 117 |
| 25 | Sharp County, AR | Very High | 99.2 | 80 |