TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
FairfieldGood morning
Natural hazards · Fairfield

Fairfield, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Fairfield?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairfield to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding48%Tornadoes25%Cold waves9%Earthquakes8%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Fairfield faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Fairfield flood?

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

15paid claims since 1979
$283Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Fairfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Fairfield

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairfieldDeclared for Jefferson County only
2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid
2014

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

20 households applied for aid $7K aid approved
2011

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

278 households applied for aid $61K aid approved $28K to the City of Fairfield for repairs
2009

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

$10K to the City of Fairfield for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina

$23K to the City of Fairfield for repairs
2005

Hurricane Dennis

$15K to the City of Fairfield for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

197 households applied for aid $240K aid approved $26K to the City of Fairfield for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $26K aid approved
2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$156K to the City of Fairfield for repairs
Jefferson County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Fairfield

Fairfield and the towns around it

Midfield: High, mostly inland floodingBirmingham: High, mostly inland floodingBrighton: High, mostly inland floodingIrondale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCenter Point: Low, mostly inland floodingHomewood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMountain Brook: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTrussville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVestavia Hills: High, mostly inland floodingHoover: High, mostly inland floodingLeeds: Moderate, mostly inland floodingForestdale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMcDonald Chapel: High, mostly inland floodingFultondale: Low, mostly inland floodingFairfield: Low, mostly inland flooding FairfieldMidfieldBirmingham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Midfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Birminghammostly inland floodingHigh
Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow
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. Fairfield covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fairfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fairfield. 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 Fairfield total about $2.9M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Fairfield, ALView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Fairfield is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map