Natural hazards · Leeds

Leeds, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Leeds comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 59 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Leeds?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Leeds to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes21%Cold waves9%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Leeds faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Leeds flood?

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

59paid claims since 1979

$1.0Mpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ivan: 4 claims, $33K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $509
Hurricane Zeta: 1 claim, $23K

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. Leeds 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

6storm safe rooms built

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Leeds

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LeedsDeclared for Jefferson County only

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid

2011

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

367 households applied for aid $306K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$38K to the City of Leeds for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

25 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $40K to the City of Leeds for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

75 households applied for aid $322K aid approved $103K to the City of Leeds for repairs

2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the City of Leeds for repairs

Jefferson County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Leeds

Leeds and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dunnavantmostly inland floodingHigh

Birminghammostly inland floodingHigh

Moodymostly inland floodingHigh

Leedsmostly inland floodingModerate

Irondalemostly 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. Leeds covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Leeds’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Leeds. 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 Leeds total about $3.0M 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.