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Natural hazards · Gadsden

Gadsden, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gadsden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 32 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Gadsden?

59
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gadsden to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes36%Earthquakes10%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Gadsden faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

36% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Gadsden flood?

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

32paid claims since 1979
$205Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Early winter storms: 2 claims, $18K
  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $2K
  • Hurricane Opal: 1 claim, $695

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. Gadsden isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Etowah County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

76storm safe rooms built
18flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Gadsden

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GadsdenDeclared for Etowah County only
2020

Severe Thunderstorms

$26K to the City of Gadsden for repairs
2018

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

78 households applied for aid $18K aid approved
2014

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

27 households applied for aid $17K aid approved
2011

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

370 households applied for aid $451K aid approved $15K to the City of Gadsden for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

84 households applied for aid $59K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $18K aid approved
2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid $289 aid approved
Etowah County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Gadsden

Gadsden and the towns around it

Rainbow City: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAttalla: High, mostly inland floodingGlencoe: High, mostly inland floodingTidmore Bend: High, mostly inland floodingReece City: High, mostly inland floodingSteele: High, mostly inland floodingHokes Bluff: High, mostly inland floodingSouthside: High, mostly inland floodingCoats Bend: High, mostly inland floodingGadsden: Moderate, mostly inland flooding GadsdenRainbow CityAttallaGlencoeTidmore BendReece City
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Reece Citymostly inland floodingHigh
Tidmore Bendmostly inland floodingHigh
Attallamostly inland floodingHigh
Glencoemostly inland floodingHigh
Gadsdenmostly inland floodingModerate
Rainbow Citymostly 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. Gadsden covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gadsden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gadsden. 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 Gadsden total about $16.1M 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.

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