Natural hazards · Batesville

Batesville, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Batesville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 78 claims here since 1982. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Batesville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Batesville to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding26%Tornadoes25%Earthquakes23%Ice storms10%Cold waves8%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Batesville faces

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

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 57 years in the area

Earthquakes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Ice storms

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Batesville flood?

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

78paid claims since 1982

$1.1Mpaid to owners

15homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

March storm: 17 claims, $518K
Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $36K
Early winter storms: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Independence County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

46storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Batesville

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BatesvilleDeclared for Independence County only

2025

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

39 households applied for aid $396K aid approved

2015

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

$20K to the City of Batesville for repairs

2014

Severe Storms,tornadoes, and Flooding

$213K to the City of Batesville for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

9 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $6K to the City of Batesville for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

48 households applied for aid $160K aid approved $143K to the City of Batesville for repairs

2004

Sever Storms, Flooding and Landslides

$7K to the City of Batesville for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$41K to the City of Batesville for repairs

Independence County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Batesville is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Batesville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Batesville. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.