Natural hazards · Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fort Smith comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 272 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fort Smith?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes18%Heat waves13%Cold waves9%Ice storms8%Earthquakes6%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Fort Smith faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 25 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Ice storms

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Fort Smith flood?

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

272paid claims since 1979

$15.5Mpaid to owners

37homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 17 claims, $545K
Spring storm: 12 claims, $733K
Early winter storms: 4 claims, $450K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (11) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sebastian County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

65storm safe rooms built

40flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Fort Smith

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fort SmithDeclared for Sebastian County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

291 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $13.0M to the City of Fort Smith for repairs

2015

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

53 households applied for aid $54K aid approved $70K to the City of Fort Smith for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm

$298K to the City of Fort Smith for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4,662 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $378K to the City of Fort Smith for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$247K to the City of Fort Smith for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$975K to the City of Fort Smith for repairs

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

Around Fort Smith

Fort Smith and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Van Burenmostly inland floodingHigh

Arkomamostly inland floodingModerate

Barlingmostly inland floodingModerate

Fort Smithmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Fort Smith covers 22 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fort Smith’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fort Smith. 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 Fort Smith total about $38.6M 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.