Natural hazards · Mountain Brook

Mountain Brook, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mountain Brook comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 110 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 Mountain Brook?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mountain Brook to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding58%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes8%Cold waves7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Mountain Brook 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 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Mountain Brook flood?

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

110paid claims since 1979

$3.3Mpaid to owners

19homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Opal: 5 claims, $135K
Hurricane Ivan: 3 claims, $21K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Mountain Brook

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Mountain BrookDeclared for Jefferson County only

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

2011

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

$271K to the City of Mountain Brook for repairs

2009

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

$12K to the City of Mountain Brook for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$121K to the City of Mountain Brook for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$34K to the City of Mountain Brook for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

$68K to the City of Mountain Brook for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$37K to the City of Mountain Brook for repairs

2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$222K to the City of Mountain Brook for repairs

Jefferson County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Mountain Brook

Mountain Brook and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Vestavia Hillsmostly inland floodingHigh

Birminghammostly inland floodingHigh

Mountain Brookmostly inland floodingModerate

Irondalemostly inland floodingModerate

Homewoodmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Mountain Brook covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mountain Brook’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mountain Brook. 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 Mountain Brook total about $12.7M 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.