WHEELER DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 404 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Lawrence County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1936
- EIA plant ID
- 49
- Coordinates
- 34.7985, -87.3815
WHEELER DAM, a 404 MW Hydro power plant in Lawrence County, Alabama. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1936.
Weather peril exposure
WHEELER DAM is a 404 MW hydro power plant in Lawrence County, AL, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1936. Lawrence County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.9 of 5 at the 23rd national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low 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.
Lawrence County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 5.7 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 70th | 3.8 of 5 | 62.4 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 0.78 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 0.81 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 8.5 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | 4.5 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 4.4 |
Perils not assessed in Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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.