Natural hazards · Shirley

Shirley, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shirley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Shirley?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shirley to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding37%Tornadoes27%Ice storms12%Earthquakes8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Shirley faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 33 years in the area

Ice storms

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter 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 Shirley flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Shirley.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Van Buren County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Shirley

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShirleyDeclared for Van Buren County only

2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$8K to the Town of Shirley for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

$31K to the Town of Shirley for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

79 households applied for aid $373K aid approved $20K to the Town of Shirley for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$7K to the Town of Shirley for repairs

Van Buren County has had 21 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. Shirley 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 Shirley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Shirley. 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.

Shirley, AR natural hazards

How exposed is Shirley?

What Shirley faces

Inland flooding

Tornadoes

Ice storms

Earthquakes

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Shirley flood?

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Winter Ice Storm

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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