How much flood risk does Howard County actually carry?
Howard County lands at the 52.1th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Low" territory — below the national norm for flood hazard — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 1 years. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 150 homes FEMA counts inside Howard County's mapped flood zone, 14 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 9.3% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Howard County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Howard County compares nationally
Howard County sits at rank 1571 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2262 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Howard County, Arkansas covers 587.332 square miles and counts roughly 12,387 residents.
Checking a specific address in Howard County
FEMA counts 7,133 residential structures in Howard County overall, 17 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Howard County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.