Natural hazards · Joppa

Joppa, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Joppa comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Joppa?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Joppa to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding33%Cold waves26%Tornadoes15%Earthquakes8%Strong wind7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Joppa faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Joppa flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Joppa.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Joppa isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Cullman County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Joppa

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JoppaDeclared for Cullman County only

2011

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

181 households applied for aid $198K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

2 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

Cullman County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Joppa is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Joppa’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Joppa. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.