Natural hazards · Bear Creek

Bear Creek, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bear Creek comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bear Creek?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bear Creek to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding33%Tornadoes28%Cold waves11%Lightning10%Earthquakes9%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Bear Creek faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

28% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lightning

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windDrought

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 Bear Creek flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bear Creek.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marion County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Bear Creek

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bear Creek itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Bear Creek.

Brought FEMA money into Bear CreekDeclared for Marion County only

2011

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

10 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid

Marion County has had 23 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. Bear Creek covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bear Creek’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bear Creek. 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 Bear Creek total about $1.9M 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.