Natural hazards · Theodore

Theodore, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Theodore comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 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 Theodore?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Theodore to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes63%Inland flooding27%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Theodore 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 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Theodore flood?

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

23paid claims since 1979

$321Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Danny: 2 claims, $28K
Hurricane Frederic: 1 claim, $14K
Hurricane Georges: 1 claim, $9K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Theodore 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

2buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Theodore

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TheodoreDeclared for Mobile County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

18 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2020

Hurricane Zeta

447 households applied for aid $646K aid approved

2020

Hurricane Sally

2,174 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved

2014

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

386 households applied for aid $336K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

5,163 households applied for aid $5.6M aid approved

2005

Hurricane Dennis

248 households applied for aid $75K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

2,720 households applied for aid $3.3M aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

512 households applied for aid $654K aid approved

Mobile County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Theodore

Theodore and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Theodoremostly hurricanesVery high

Mobilemostly hurricanesVery high

Tillmans Cornermostly hurricanesVery high

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. Theodore covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Theodore’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Theodore. 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 Theodore total about $3.5M 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.