Natural hazards · Centre

Centre, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Centre comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2019. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Centre?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes9%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Centre faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 41 years in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Centre flood?

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

1paid claims since 2019

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20192026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cherokee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

45storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Centre

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CentreDeclared for Cherokee County only

2019

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

$10K to the City of Centre for repairs

2011

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

441 households applied for aid $138K aid approved $22K to the City of Centre for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

120 households applied for aid $484K aid approved

Cherokee 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. Centre covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Centre’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Centre. 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 Centre total about $3.0M 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.