Natural hazards · Safford

Safford, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Safford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1991.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Safford?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Safford to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding55%Heat waves31%Lightning8%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Safford faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

31% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lightning

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windDrought

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 Safford flood?

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

12paid claims since 1991

$208Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19912026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Graham County.

Disasters that hit Safford

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Graham County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Safford itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into SaffordDeclared for Graham County only

Graham County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Safford covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Safford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Safford. 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 Safford total about $3.2M 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.