Natural hazards · Montevallo

Montevallo, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montevallo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2009. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montevallo?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montevallo to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding48%Tornadoes32%Cold waves8%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Montevallo faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Montevallo flood?

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

5paid claims since 2009

$188Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20092026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Shelby County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

32storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Montevallo

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontevalloDeclared for Shelby County only

2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

10 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2011

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

34 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

91 households applied for aid $133K aid approved $14K to the City of Montevallo for repairs

Shelby County has had 24 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. Montevallo covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Montevallo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Montevallo. 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 Montevallo total about $2.3M 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.