Natural hazards · Tarrant

Tarrant, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tarrant comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1982. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tarrant?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tarrant to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes23%Cold waves10%Earthquakes7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Tarrant faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

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

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 Tarrant flood?

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

36paid claims since 1982

$957Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 2 claims, $56K
Hurricane Dennis: 1 claim, $16K
Hurricane Opal: 1 claim, $42K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Tarrant 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

26flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Tarrant

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TarrantDeclared for Jefferson County only

2011

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

$317K to the City of Tarrant for repairs

2009

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

$39K to the City of Tarrant for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$33K to the City of Tarrant for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid $65K to the City of Tarrant for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

28 households applied for aid $100K aid approved $96K to the City of Tarrant for repairs

2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$15K to the City of Tarrant for repairs

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

Around Tarrant

Tarrant and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Birminghammostly inland floodingHigh

Tarrantmostly inland floodingModerate

Fultondalemostly inland floodingLow

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. Tarrant covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tarrant’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Tarrant. 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 Tarrant total about $1.6M 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.