Natural hazards · Vandiver

Vandiver, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Vandiver comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Vandiver?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vandiver to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes32%Cold waves7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Vandiver faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years 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 Vandiver flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Vandiver.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Shelby County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Vandiver

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VandiverDeclared for Shelby County only

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2011

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

1 household applied for aid

Shelby County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Vandiver

Vandiver and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Vandivermostly inland floodingHigh

Sterrettmostly inland floodingHigh

Dunnavantmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Vandiver covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vandiver’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Vandiver. 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 Vandiver total about $1.1M 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.