Natural hazards · Kennedy

Kennedy, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kennedy comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kennedy?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kennedy to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes20%Lightning12%Cold waves11%Earthquakes8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Kennedy faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lightning

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windDrought

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 Kennedy flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lamar County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Kennedy

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KennedyDeclared for Lamar County only

2011

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

11 households applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Katrina

4 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $4K to the Town of Kennedy for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

5 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

2001

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$710K to the Town of Kennedy for repairs

Lamar County has had 23 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. Kennedy 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 Kennedy’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Kennedy. 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.