Natural hazards · Black

Black, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Black comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high 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 Black?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Black to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding47%Hurricanes27%Tornadoes7%Cold waves6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Black faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Black flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Geneva County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Black

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BlackDeclared for Geneva County only

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes & Straight-Line

14 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

8 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Geneva County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

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. Black 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 Black’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Black. 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.