Natural hazards · Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mount Vernon comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mount Vernon?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mount Vernon to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes63%Inland flooding24%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Mount Vernon 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 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

24% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% 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 Mount Vernon flood?

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

3paid claims since 1979

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $158

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Mount Vernon 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.

Disasters that hit Mount Vernon

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Mount Vernon itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Mount Vernon.

Brought FEMA money into Mount VernonDeclared for Mobile County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

63 households applied for aid $89K aid approved

2020

Hurricane Zeta

271 households applied for aid $441K aid approved $399K to the Town of Mount Vernon for repairs

2020

Hurricane Sally

309 households applied for aid $509K aid approved $7K to the Town of Mount Vernon for repairs

2014

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

108 households applied for aid $102K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

924 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $18K to the Town of Mount Vernon for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

92 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $3K to the Town of Mount Vernon for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

819 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $20K to the Town of Mount Vernon for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

331 households applied for aid $478K aid approved

Mobile County has had 32 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. Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Mount Vernon. 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.