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Natural hazards · Athens

Athens, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Athens comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Athens?

55
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Athens to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding38%Cold waves21%Earthquakes20%Tornadoes15%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Athens faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

21% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Athens flood?

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

17paid claims since 1980
$80Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19802026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Athens isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Limestone County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

11storm safe rooms built
2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Athens

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AthensDeclared for Limestone County only
2014

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

1,010 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $538K to the City of Athens for repairs
2011

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

1,341 households applied for aid $918K aid approved $3.3M to the City of Athens for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

23 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

58 households applied for aid $74K aid approved $22K to the City of Athens for repairs
1998

Riv-Severe Winter Wx 12/23/98

$30K to the City of Athens for repairs
Limestone County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Athens

Athens and the towns around it

Huntsville: High, mostly inland floodingRedstone Arsenal: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTriana: Low, mostly inland floodingOwens Cross Roads: High, mostly inland floodingMoores Mill: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDecatur: High, mostly tornadoesAthens: Moderate, mostly inland flooding AthensHuntsville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Huntsvillemostly inland floodingHigh
Athensmostly 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. Athens covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Athens’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Athens. 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 Athens total about $12.9M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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