Natural hazards · Fayetteville

Fayetteville, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fayetteville comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 166 claims here since 1980. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fayetteville?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fayetteville to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and inland flooding.

Heat waves37%Inland flooding33%Tornadoes11%Ice storms7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Fayetteville faces

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

Heat waves

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter 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 Fayetteville flood?

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

166paid claims since 1980

$5.3Mpaid to owners

32homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 39 claims, $981K
Late spring severe storms: 38 claims, $1.6M
Early winter storms: 2 claims, $13K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Fayetteville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Washington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

7storm safe rooms built

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Fayetteville

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FayettevilleDeclared for Washington County only

2017

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

174 households applied for aid $195K aid approved $416K to the City of Fayetteville for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

291 households applied for aid $436K aid approved $604K to the City of Fayetteville for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$4.0M to the City of Fayetteville for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

44 households applied for aid $55K aid approved

2004

Sever Storms, Flooding and Landslides

$471K to the City of Fayetteville for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$126K to the City of Fayetteville for repairs

Washington County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Fayetteville

Fayetteville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Elkinsmostly inland floodingVery high

Farmingtonmostly heat wavesModerate

Greenlandmostly heat wavesModerate

Johnsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Fayettevillemostly heat wavesModerate

Springdalemostly heat wavesLow

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. Fayetteville covers 20 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fayetteville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fayetteville. 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 Fayetteville total about $42.6M 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.