Natural hazards · Marion

Marion, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Marion comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Marion?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Marion to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes26%Earthquakes9%Strong wind9%Hurricanes7%Heat waves6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Marion faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesDrought

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 Marion flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Perry County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

46storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Marion

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MarionDeclared for Perry County only

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

56 households applied for aid $151K aid approved

2020

Hurricane Zeta

336 households applied for aid $473K aid approved $290K to the City of Marion for repairs

2012

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

97 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

2011

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

227 households applied for aid $170K aid approved $17K to the City of Marion for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$18K to the City of Marion for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$10K to the City of Marion for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

825 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $106K to the City of Marion for repairs

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

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. Marion 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 Marion’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Marion. 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.