Natural hazards · New Hope

New Hope, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in New Hope comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1990. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is New Hope?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in New Hope to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Tornadoes15%Cold waves7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What New Hope faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year 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 New Hope flood?

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

16paid claims since 1990

$324Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19902026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 2 claims, $28K

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. New Hope isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Madison County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit New Hope

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into New HopeDeclared for Madison County only

2011

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

141 households applied for aid $45K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $227K aid approved $22K to the City of New Hope for repairs

Madison County has had 19 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. New Hope 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 New Hope’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of New Hope. 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.