Natural hazards · Bentonville

Bentonville, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bentonville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1992. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bentonville?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bentonville to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and ice storms.

Inland flooding46%Ice storms17%Heat waves9%Earthquakes9%Tornadoes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Bentonville faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold 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 Bentonville flood?

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

25paid claims since 1992

$538Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Late spring severe storms: 1 claim, $7K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Bentonville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Benton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Bentonville

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BentonvilleDeclared for Benton County only

2024

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

952 households applied for aid $477K aid approved $8.8M to the City of Bentonville for repairs

2017

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

27 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $30K to the City of Bentonville for repairs

2015

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

28 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $204K to the City of Bentonville for repairs

2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$65K to the City of Bentonville for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

35 households applied for aid $12K aid approved $2.8M to the City of Bentonville for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$353K to the City of Bentonville for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $25K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$57K to the City of Bentonville for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$25K to the City of Bentonville for repairs

Benton County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Bentonville

Bentonville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cave Springsmostly inland floodingModerate

Highfillmostly inland floodingModerate

Centertonmostly inland floodingModerate

Bella Vistamostly inland floodingModerate

Rogersmostly inland floodingLow

Little Flockmostly inland floodingLow

Bentonvillemostly 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. Bentonville covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bentonville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bentonville. 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 Bentonville total about $12.1M 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.