Natural hazards · Montgomery

Montgomery, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montgomery comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 228 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montgomery?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montgomery to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding58%Tornadoes16%Heat waves8%Earthquakes8%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Montgomery faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Montgomery flood?

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

228paid claims since 1978

$5.3Mpaid to owners

23homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Opal: 16 claims, $184K
Early winter storms: 12 claims, $154K
Tropical Storm Alberto: 4 claims, $28K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

57storm safe rooms built

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Montgomery

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontgomeryDeclared for Montgomery County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

$19K to the City of Montgomery for repairs

2011

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

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved

2009

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

1,573 households applied for aid $4.7M aid approved $705K to the City of Montgomery for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

28 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$265K to the City of Montgomery for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

9,415 households applied for aid $7.7M aid approved $3.1M to the City of Montgomery for repairs

Montgomery County has had 22 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. Montgomery covers 57 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Montgomery’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Montgomery. 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 Montgomery total about $68.9M 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.