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Natural hazards · Gardendale

Gardendale, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gardendale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1983. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Gardendale?

43
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gardendale to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes25%Cold waves12%Earthquakes8%Heat waves6%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Gardendale faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% 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

12% 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 72% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Gardendale flood?

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

8paid claims since 1983
$309Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19832026

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. Gardendale 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

7storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Gardendale

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GardendaleDeclared for Jefferson County only
2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid
2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid
2014

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

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2011

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

58 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2009

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

$33K to the City of Gardendale for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina

$56K to the City of Gardendale for repairs
2005

Hurricane Dennis

$20K to the City of Gardendale for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

7 households applied for aid $781 aid approved $71K to the City of Gardendale for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $38K to the City of Gardendale for repairs
2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid
2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$43K to the City of Gardendale for repairs
Jefferson County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Gardendale

Gardendale and the towns around it

Fultondale: Low, mostly inland floodingMount Olive: High, mostly inland floodingBrookside: High, mostly inland floodingBirmingham: High, mostly inland floodingTarrant: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAdamsville: Low, mostly inland floodingCardiff: High, mostly inland floodingGraysville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingForestdale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGardendale: Moderate, mostly inland flooding GardendaleFultondaleMount OliveBrookside
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Mount Olivemostly inland floodingHigh
Brooksidemostly inland floodingHigh
Gardendalemostly inland floodingModerate
Fultondalemostly 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. Gardendale covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gardendale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gardendale. 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 Gardendale total about $5.4M 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.

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