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Natural hazards · Birmingham

Birmingham, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Birmingham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 898 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 Birmingham?

60
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Birmingham to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding56%Tornadoes21%Cold waves8%Earthquakes8%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Birmingham faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% 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 Birmingham flood?

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

898paid claims since 1978
$15.1Mpaid to owners
106homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ivan: 70 claims, $1.0M
  • Hurricane Opal: 35 claims, $725K
  • Early winter storms: 13 claims, $124K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (11) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Birmingham is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

740flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
128storm safe rooms built
1flood-prone homes bought out and moved
Disasters that hit Birmingham

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BirminghamDeclared for Jefferson County only
2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

319 households applied for aid $741K aid approved
2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

226 households applied for aid $142K aid approved
2014

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

139 households applied for aid $71K aid approved
2012

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

187 households applied for aid $79K aid approved
2011

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

8,194 households applied for aid $6.9M aid approved $11.5M to the City of Birmingham for repairs
2009

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

$278K to the City of Birmingham for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

13 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2005

Hurricane Katrina

$1.2M to the City of Birmingham for repairs
2005

Hurricane Dennis

$677K to the City of Birmingham for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

5,753 households applied for aid $6.5M aid approved $1.2M to the City of Birmingham for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2,457 households applied for aid $6.9M aid approved $247K to the City of Birmingham for repairs
2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

16 households applied for aid $18K aid approved
2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.5M to the City of Birmingham for repairs
Jefferson County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Birmingham

Birmingham and the towns around it

Irondale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCenter Point: Low, mostly inland floodingHomewood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMountain Brook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTrussville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVestavia Hills: High, mostly inland floodingHoover: High, mostly inland floodingLeeds: Moderate, mostly inland floodingForestdale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMcDonald Chapel: High, mostly inland floodingMidfield: High, mostly inland floodingFultondale: Low, mostly inland floodingPinson: High, mostly inland floodingGrayson Valley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClay: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArgo: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMoody: High, mostly inland floodingMargaret: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHelena: High, mostly inland floodingMeadowbrook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBessemer: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEagle Point: High, mostly inland floodingIndian Springs Village: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPelham: High, mostly inland floodingDunnavant: High, mostly inland floodingBrook Highland: Low, mostly tornadoesHighland Lakes: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAdamsville: Low, mostly inland floodingBrookside: High, mostly inland floodingEdgewater: High, mostly inland floodingPleasant Grove: High, mostly inland floodingFairfield: Low, mostly inland floodingBrighton: High, mostly inland floodingGardendale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTarrant: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBirmingham: High, mostly inland flooding BirminghamIrondaleCenter PointHomewoodMountain BrookTrussvilleVestavia HillsHooverLeedsForestdaleMcDonald ChapelMidfieldFultondale
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Vestavia Hillsmostly inland floodingHigh
Hoovermostly inland floodingHigh
McDonald Chapelmostly inland floodingHigh
Midfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Birminghammostly inland floodingHigh
Leedsmostly inland floodingModerate
Forestdalemostly inland floodingModerate
Mountain Brookmostly inland floodingModerate
Irondalemostly inland floodingModerate
Homewoodmostly inland floodingModerate
Trussvillemostly inland floodingModerate
Fultondalemostly inland floodingLow
Center Pointmostly inland floodingLow
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. Birmingham covers 70 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Birmingham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Birmingham. 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 Birmingham total about $85.9M 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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