Natural hazards · Foley

Foley, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Foley comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 195 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 Foley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Foley to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes75%Inland flooding15%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Foley faces

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

Hurricanes

75% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

15% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Foley flood?

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

195paid claims since 1979

$14.5Mpaid to owners

34homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sally: 144 claims, $12.2M
Mid-spring storms: 20 claims, $1.1M
Hurricane Ivan: 11 claims, $672K

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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Foley is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Baldwin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9homes raised above flood level

2buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Foley

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FoleyDeclared for Baldwin County only

2020

Hurricane Sally

6,000 households applied for aid $6.1M aid approved $12.6M to the City of Foley for repairs

2014

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

773 households applied for aid $2.3M aid approved $298K to the City of Foley for repairs

2012

Hurricane Isaac

$10K to the City of Foley for repairs

2009

Tropical Storm Ida

$7K to the City of Foley for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$30K to the City of Foley for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

752 households applied for aid $845K aid approved $312K to the City of Foley for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

141 households applied for aid $41K aid approved $53K to the City of Foley for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

3,813 households applied for aid $4.0M aid approved $4.3M to the City of Foley for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $83K aid approved

2002

Tropical Storm Isidore

$5K to the City of Foley for repairs

Baldwin County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Foley

Foley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Orange Beachmostly hurricanesVery high

Gulf Shoresmostly hurricanesVery high

Summerdalemostly hurricanesVery high

Foleymostly hurricanesVery high

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. Foley covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Foley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Foley. 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 Foley total about $14.4M 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.