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Natural hazards · Salem

Salem, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Salem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Salem?

89
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Salem to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and ice storms.

Inland flooding39%Ice storms24%Tornadoes11%Cold waves8%Earthquakes8%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Salem faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Ice storms

24% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherHeat 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 Salem flood?

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

1paid claims since 2008
$3Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20082026
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Salem isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Fulton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Salem

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SalemDeclared for Fulton County only
2025

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $125K aid approved
2024

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

12 households applied for aid $53K aid approved
2017

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

1 household applied for aid
2013

Severe Winter Storm

$377K to the City of Salem for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm

$91K to the City of Salem for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $15K to the City of Salem for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

29 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2002

Severe Ice Storm

$2K to the City of Salem for repairs
2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$2K to the City of Salem for repairs
Fulton County has had 23 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. Salem 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 Salem’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Salem. 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.

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