Natural hazards · Epes

Epes, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Epes comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Epes?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Epes to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes22%Hurricanes6%Earthquakes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Epes faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Epes flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sumter County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Epes

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EpesDeclared for Sumter County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

28 households applied for aid $67K aid approved

2011

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

55 households applied for aid $46K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

142 households applied for aid $144K aid approved $13K to the Town of Epes for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

155 households applied for aid $232K aid approved

Sumter County has had 16 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. Epes 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 Epes’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Epes. 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.