Natural hazards · Decatur

Decatur, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Decatur comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 82 claims here since 1980. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Decatur?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Decatur to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes36%Inland flooding36%Earthquakes12%Cold waves6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Decatur faces

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

Tornadoes

36% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

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 Decatur flood?

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

82paid claims since 1980

$1.4Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 7 claims, $247K
Tropical Storm Nicholas: 5 claims, $75K
Hurricane Katrina: 1 claim, $13K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Morgan County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

46storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Decatur

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DecaturDeclared for Morgan County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

79 households applied for aid $65K aid approved

2011

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

1,448 households applied for aid $36K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

26 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

Morgan County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Decatur

Decatur and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hartsellemostly inland floodingHigh

Huntsvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Decaturmostly tornadoesHigh

Pricevillemostly tornadoesHigh

Trinitymostly 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. Decatur covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Decatur’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Decatur. 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 Decatur total about $29.0M 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.