Natural hazards · Whiteriver

Whiteriver, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Whiteriver comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Whiteriver?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding40%Wildfire30%Lightning14%Cold waves10%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Whiteriver faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Wildfire

30% of expected damage

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

Lightning

14% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Whiteriver flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Navajo County.

Disasters that hit Whiteriver

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into WhiteriverDeclared for Navajo County only

Navajo County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Whiteriver

Whiteriver and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Turkey Creekmostly inland floodingVery high

Seven Milemostly inland floodingVery high

North Forkmostly wildfiresVery high

Fort Apachemostly inland floodingVery high

Whiterivermostly inland floodingHigh

Rainbow Citymostly inland floodingHigh

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. Whiteriver covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Whiteriver’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Whiteriver. 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 Whiteriver total about $1.3M 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.