Natural hazards · Alabaster

Alabaster, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alabaster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 59 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Alabaster?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alabaster to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes30%Cold waves7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Alabaster faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Alabaster flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Alabaster, from FEMA’s records.

59paid claims since 1979

$1.9Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ivan: 1 claim, $50K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Alabaster isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Shelby County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

19storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Alabaster

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Alabaster itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Alabaster.

Brought FEMA money into AlabasterDeclared for Shelby County only

2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

8 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

28 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$27K to the City of Alabaster for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

85 households applied for aid $86K aid approved $84K to the City of Alabaster for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Shelby County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Alabaster

Alabaster and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pelhammostly inland floodingHigh

Helenamostly inland floodingHigh

Caleramostly inland floodingHigh

Alabastermostly inland floodingModerate

Brantleyvillemostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Alabaster covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alabaster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Alabaster. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Alabaster total about $7.9M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.