Natural hazards · Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pine Bluff comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 207 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pine Bluff?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pine Bluff to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes35%Inland flooding28%Tornadoes16%Heat waves6%Strong wind6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Pine Bluff faces

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

Earthquakes

35% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Pine Bluff flood?

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

207paid claims since 1978

$4.0Mpaid to owners

31homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 8 claims, $212K
Spring storm: 6 claims, $283K
Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $4K

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. Pine Bluff isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

33storm safe rooms built

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

4homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Pine Bluff

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Pine BluffDeclared for Jefferson County only

2023

Severe Winter Storm

$334K to the City of Pine Bluff for repairs

2020

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$283K to the City of Pine Bluff for repairs

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

74 households applied for aid $388K aid approved $488K to the City of Pine Bluff for repairs

2015

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

124 households applied for aid $52K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

81 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

$228K to the City of Pine Bluff for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$26K to the City of Pine Bluff for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

25 households applied for aid $42K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$5.6M to the City of Pine Bluff for repairs

Jefferson County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Pine Bluff covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pine Bluff’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pine Bluff. 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 Pine Bluff total about $16.9M 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.