Natural hazards · Conway

Conway, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Conway comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 47 claims here since 1982. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Conway?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Conway to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and earthquakes.

Tornadoes30%Earthquakes26%Inland flooding25%Ice storms6%Heat waves6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Conway faces

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

Tornadoes

30% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 18 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold 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 Conway flood?

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

47paid claims since 1982

$952Kpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Late spring severe storms: 12 claims, $523K
Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $42K
March storm: 1 claim, $13K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Faulkner County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

78storm safe rooms built

15flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Conway

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ConwayDeclared for Faulkner County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

$241K to the City of Conway for repairs

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

76 households applied for aid $242K aid approved $121K to the City of Conway for repairs

2017

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

127 households applied for aid $327K aid approved $93K to the City of Conway for repairs

2015

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

11 households applied for aid $38K aid approved

2014

Severe Storms,tornadoes, and Flooding

223 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

347 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$187K to the City of Conway for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $57K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$288K to the City of Conway for repairs

Faulkner County has had 24 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. Conway covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Conway’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Conway. 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 Conway total about $36.5M 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.