Natural hazards · Valley

Valley, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Valley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2023. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Valley?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Valley to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Tornadoes13%Heat waves10%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Valley faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Valley flood?

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

1paid claims since 2023

$19Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20232026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chambers County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Valley

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ValleyDeclared for Chambers County only

2011

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

30 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

12 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

50 households applied for aid $247K aid approved

Chambers County has had 20 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. Valley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Valley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Valley. 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 Valley total about $1.5M 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.