LEWIS SMITH DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 157 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Walker County
- Operator
- ALABAMA POWER CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1961
- EIA plant ID
- 18
- Coordinates
- 33.9406, -87.1080
LEWIS SMITH DAM, a 157 MW Hydro power plant in Walker County, Alabama. Operated by ALABAMA POWER CO, commissioned 1961.
Weather peril exposure
LEWIS SMITH DAM is a 157 MW hydro power plant in Walker County, AL, operated by ALABAMA POWER CO, commissioned in 1961. Walker County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.2 of 5 at the 29th national percentile. Tornado is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 99th 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.
Walker County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 0.91 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89th | 4.6 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 67.8 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80th | 4.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 0.04 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 42nd | 2.7 of 5 | 8.7 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 38th | 2.5 of 5 | 0.46 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 4.4 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 25th | 2.0 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 3.1 |
Perils not assessed in Walker 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 Walker 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.