BANKHEAD DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 45 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Tuscaloosa County
- Operator
- ALABAMA POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1963
- EIA plant ID
- 2
- Coordinates
- 33.4591, -87.3586
BANKHEAD DAM, a 45 MW Hydro power plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Operated by ALABAMA POWER CO, commissioned 1963.
Weather peril exposure
BANKHEAD DAM is a 45 MW hydro power plant in Tuscaloosa County, AL, operated by ALABAMA POWER CO, commissioned in 1963. Tuscaloosa County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.7 of 5 at the 17th national percentile. Tornado is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 87th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Tuscaloosa County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 2.1 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 57th | 3.3 of 5 | 70.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 0.52 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | 10.0 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 1.8 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 38th | 2.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 22nd | 1.9 of 5 | 2.7 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 3.5 |
Perils not assessed in Tuscaloosa County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Tuscaloosa County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.