Natural hazards · Bessemer

Bessemer, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bessemer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 239 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bessemer?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bessemer to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes23%Cold waves9%Earthquakes7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Bessemer faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Bessemer flood?

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

239paid claims since 1978

$4.3Mpaid to owners

21homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ivan: 4 claims, $33K
Hurricane Opal: 1 claim, $19K
Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $954

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

66storm safe rooms built

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Bessemer

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BessemerDeclared for Jefferson County only

2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $41K aid approved

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

14 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2014

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

953 households applied for aid $531K aid approved $1.9M to the City of Bessemer for repairs

2012

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

34 households applied for aid $118K aid approved

2011

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

841 households applied for aid $583K aid approved $108K to the City of Bessemer for repairs

2009

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

$97K to the City of Bessemer for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$91K to the City of Bessemer for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$129K to the City of Bessemer for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1,160 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $155K to the City of Bessemer for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $66K aid approved

2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

8 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$367K to the City of Bessemer for repairs

Jefferson County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Bessemer

Bessemer and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hueytownmostly inland floodingHigh

Helenamostly inland floodingHigh

Brightonmostly inland floodingHigh

Hoovermostly inland floodingHigh

Birminghammostly inland floodingHigh

McCallamostly inland floodingModerate

Lipscombmostly inland floodingModerate

Bessemermostly 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. Bessemer covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bessemer’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bessemer. 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 Bessemer total about $13.4M 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.