Natural hazards · Marion

Marion, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Marion comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1987. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Marion?

82
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Marion to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes39%Inland flooding35%Heat waves7%Cold waves7%Tornadoes7%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Marion faces

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

Earthquakes

39% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places
Recorded about 23 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter 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 Marion flood?

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

15paid claims since 1987
$395Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $24K
  • Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $134K

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. Marion isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Crittenden County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Marion

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MarionDeclared for Crittenden County only
2025

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

190 households applied for aid $866K aid approved
2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

125 households applied for aid $127K aid approved $58K to the City of Marion for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

55 households applied for aid $102K aid approved
2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$21K to the City of Marion for repairs
Crittenden County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.
Around Marion

Marion and the towns around it

West Memphis: Very high, mostly earthquakesClarkedale: Very high, mostly earthquakesMemphis: High, mostly earthquakesMarion: Very high, mostly earthquakes MarionWest MemphisClarkedale
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
West Memphismostly earthquakesVery high
Marionmostly earthquakesVery high
Clarkedalemostly earthquakesVery high
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. Marion covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Marion’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Marion. 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 Marion total about $8.6M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01