Natural hazards · Brewton

Brewton, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brewton comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 164 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brewton?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brewton to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes52%Inland flooding33%Tornadoes8%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Brewton faces

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

Hurricanes

52% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Brewton flood?

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

164paid claims since 1978

$9.4Mpaid to owners

25homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Georges: 31 claims, $885K
Hurricane Sally: 5 claims, $1.4M
Hurricane Opal: 2 claims, $8K

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. Brewton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Escambia County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2buildings retrofitted against wind

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Brewton

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrewtonDeclared for Escambia County only

2020

Hurricane Sally

777 households applied for aid $932K aid approved $182K to the City of Brewton for repairs

2011

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

34 households applied for aid $81K aid approved

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

$309K to the City of Brewton for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

484 households applied for aid $354K aid approved $167K to the City of Brewton for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

3,522 households applied for aid $5.2M aid approved $279K to the City of Brewton for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

47 households applied for aid $57K aid approved

Escambia County has had 24 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. Brewton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brewton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brewton. 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 Brewton total about $2.6M 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.