Natural hazards · Nashville

Nashville, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Nashville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1982. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Nashville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Nashville to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and ice storms.

Inland flooding42%Ice storms21%Tornadoes11%Hail6%Earthquakes6%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Nashville faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Ice storms

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Nashville flood?

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

11paid claims since 1982

$81Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19822026

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

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

Insurance rates: Howard County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Nashville

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NashvilleDeclared for Howard County only

2015

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

68 households applied for aid $103K aid approved $208K to the City of Nashville for repairs

2008

Tropical Storm Ike

$33K to the City of Nashville for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$117K to the City of Nashville for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$554K to the City of Nashville for repairs

Howard County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

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. Nashville covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Nashville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Nashville. 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 Nashville total about $2.9M 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.