Natural hazards · Mobile

Mobile, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mobile comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4,186 claims here since 1978. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mobile?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mobile to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes63%Inland flooding26%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Mobile faces

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

Hurricanes

63% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Mobile flood?

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

4,186paid claims since 1978

$136Mpaid to owners

525homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Katrina: 963 claims, $82.0M
Hurricane Georges: 366 claims, $9.9M
Hurricane Frederic: 260 claims, $3.2M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 9 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (111) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Mobile County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

133flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

12buildings retrofitted against wind

1storm safe rooms built

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Mobile

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MobileDeclared for Mobile County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

325 households applied for aid $331K aid approved

2020

Hurricane Zeta

9,042 households applied for aid $12.0M aid approved $5.6M to the City of Mobile for repairs

2020

Hurricane Sally

30,416 households applied for aid $48.5M aid approved $8.5M to the City of Mobile for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

$9K to the City of Mobile for repairs

2017

Hurricane Nate

$273K to the City of Mobile for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$40K to the City of Mobile for repairs

2014

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

8,764 households applied for aid $6.5M aid approved $621K to the City of Mobile for repairs

2012

Hurricane Isaac

$358K to the City of Mobile for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$189K to the City of Mobile for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

53,794 households applied for aid $57.3M aid approved $5.3M to the City of Mobile for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

5,395 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $897K to the City of Mobile for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

32,681 households applied for aid $31.9M aid approved $4.1M to the City of Mobile for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17,931 households applied for aid $22.1M aid approved

2002

Tropical Storm Isidore

$166K to the City of Mobile for repairs

Mobile County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Mobile

Mobile and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Saralandmostly inland floodingVery high

Spanish Fortmostly hurricanesVery high

Satsumamostly hurricanesVery high

Chickasawmostly hurricanesVery high

Mobilemostly hurricanesVery high

Tillmans Cornermostly hurricanesVery high

Theodoremostly hurricanesVery high

Prichardmostly hurricanesVery high

Semmesmostly hurricanesVery high

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. Mobile covers 74 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mobile’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mobile. 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 Mobile total about $148M 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.