How much flood risk does Lawrence County actually carry?
Lawrence County lands at the 63.7th 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 1.5 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Lawrence County
Out of 348 homes FEMA counts inside Lawrence County's mapped flood zone, 50 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 14.4% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Lawrence County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.4% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Lawrence County against the rest of the country
Lawrence County sits at rank 1193 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1349 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 33,567 people live in Lawrence County, Alabama, spread over 690.685 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Lawrence County
Across all of Lawrence County's 14,385 residential structures, 58 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Lawrence 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.