Natural hazards · Ashford

Ashford, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ashford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ashford?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ashford to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding44%Hurricanes22%Tornadoes18%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Ashford faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ashford flood?

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

17paid claims since 1978

$594Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Houston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Ashford

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AshfordDeclared for Houston County only

2018

Hurricane Michael

$27K to the City of Ashford for repairs

2014

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

$28K to the City of Ashford for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes & Straight-Line

39 households applied for aid $144K aid approved $13K to the City of Ashford for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $12K to the City of Ashford for repairs

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

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. Ashford is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.