Natural hazards · Tucson

Tucson, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tucson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 120 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tucson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tucson to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding66%Heat waves30%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Tucson faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Heat waves

30% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 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 Tucson flood?

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

120paid claims since 1978

$2.6Mpaid to owners

9homes 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

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Tucson is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Pima County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

57flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Tucson

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TucsonDeclared for Pima County only

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.1M to the City of Tucson for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$770K to the City of Tucson for repairs

Pima County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Tucson

Tucson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Flowing Wellsmostly inland floodingVery high

Tanque Verdemostly inland floodingVery high

Vailmostly inland floodingVery high

Rincon Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Catalina Foothillsmostly inland floodingVery high

Maranamostly inland floodingVery high

Kleindalemostly inland floodingVery high

Casas Adobesmostly inland floodingVery high

Summitmostly inland floodingVery high

Tucsonmostly inland floodingHigh

Drexel Heightsmostly inland floodingHigh

Tucson Mountainsmostly 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. Tucson covers 137 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tucson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Tucson. 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 Tucson total about $226M 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.