Natural hazards · Portland

Portland, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Portland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1982. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Portland?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Portland to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding43%Drought20%Earthquakes11%Tornadoes9%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Portland faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

20% of expected damage

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Portland flood?

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

6paid claims since 1982

$33Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Late winter severe storms: 1 claim, $5K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ashley County.

Disasters that hit Portland

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PortlandDeclared for Ashley County only

2009

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

Ashley County has had 13 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. Portland 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 Portland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Portland. 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.