Natural hazards · Hartselle

Hartselle, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hartselle comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hartselle?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hartselle to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes32%Earthquakes11%Cold waves5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Hartselle 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

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 86 years in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Hartselle flood?

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

33paid claims since 1978

$662Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 3 claims, $192K
Hurricane Georges: 1 claim, $9K
Hurricane Danny: 1 claim, $685

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. Hartselle isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Morgan County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

38storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Hartselle

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HartselleDeclared for Morgan County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $976 aid approved $129K to the City of Hartselle for repairs

2011

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

283 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $24K to the City of Hartselle for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

7 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

1998

Riv-Severe Winter Wx 12/23/98

$27K to the City of Hartselle for repairs

Morgan County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Hartselle

Hartselle and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hartsellemostly inland floodingHigh

Falkvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Decaturmostly tornadoesHigh

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. Hartselle covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hartselle’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hartselle. 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 Hartselle total about $6.0M 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.