Natural hazards · Pell

Pell, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Pell?

57
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pell to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding60%Tornadoes22%Earthquakes6%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Pell faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Pell flood?

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

16paid claims since 1979
$492Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Early winter storms: 1 claim, $7K

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. Pell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Clair County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

23storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Pell

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PellDeclared for St. Clair County only
2015

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

$14K to the City of Pell for repairs
2011

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

229 households applied for aid $195K aid approved $125K to the City of Pell for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

9 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

79 households applied for aid $274K aid approved $3K to the City of Pell for repairs
2001

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$8K to the City of Pell for repairs
St. Clair County has had 28 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. Pell covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pell. 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 Pell total about $3.8M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01