Natural hazards · Norfork

Norfork, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Norfork comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 55 claims here since 1982. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Norfork?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Norfork to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes16%Ice storms9%Cold waves7%Strong wind6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Norfork faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Ice storms

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Norfork flood?

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

55paid claims since 1982

$2.5Mpaid to owners

14homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

March storm: 19 claims, $1.1M
Early winter storms: 4 claims, $337K
Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $50K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Baxter County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Norfork

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NorforkDeclared for Baxter County only

2024

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

29 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$6K to the City of Norfork for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

71 households applied for aid $215K aid approved $15K to the City of Norfork for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$5K to the City of Norfork for repairs

Baxter County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Norfork is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Norfork’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Norfork. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.