Natural hazards · Scottsdale

Scottsdale, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Scottsdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 148 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Scottsdale?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Scottsdale to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding63%Heat waves31%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Scottsdale faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Heat waves

31% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 23 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 Scottsdale flood?

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

148paid claims since 1978

$2.5Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Maricopa County.

Disasters that hit Scottsdale

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ScottsdaleDeclared for Maricopa County only

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

Around Scottsdale

Scottsdale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tempemostly inland floodingHigh

Paradise Valleymostly inland floodingHigh

Scottsdalemostly inland floodingHigh

Cave Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Phoenixmostly heat wavesModerate

Fountain Hillsmostly inland floodingModerate

Carefreemostly inland floodingModerate

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. Scottsdale covers 57 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Scottsdale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Scottsdale. 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 Scottsdale total about $158M 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.