Natural hazards · Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Phoenix comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 863 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Phoenix?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Phoenix to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and inland flooding.

Heat waves49%Inland flooding47%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Phoenix faces

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

Heat waves

49% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 23 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Phoenix flood?

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

863paid claims since 1978

$9.4Mpaid to owners

57homes flooded more than once

19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Phoenix is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Maricopa County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Phoenix

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PhoenixDeclared for Maricopa County only

2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.0M to the City of Phoenix for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$259K to the City of Phoenix for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$207K to the City of Phoenix for repairs

Maricopa County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Phoenix

Phoenix and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Maricopa Colonymostly heat wavesVery high

Avondalemostly inland floodingHigh

Peoriamostly inland floodingHigh

Tempemostly inland floodingHigh

New Rivermostly inland floodingHigh

Paradise Valleymostly inland floodingHigh

Scottsdalemostly inland floodingHigh

Glendalemostly inland floodingHigh

Cave Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Phoenixmostly heat wavesModerate

Tollesonmostly inland floodingLow

Guadalupemostly heat wavesLow

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. Phoenix covers 373 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Phoenix’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Phoenix. 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 Phoenix total about $714M 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.