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Natural hazards · Alturas

Alturas, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alturas comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1998. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Alturas?

71
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alturas to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes42%Inland flooding17%Cold waves13%Strong wind11%Wildfire5%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Alturas faces

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

Hurricanes

42% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsWinter weatherAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Alturas flood?

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

9paid claims since 1998
$267Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19982026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ian: 3 claims, $104K
  • Hurricane Charley: 2 claims, $41K
  • Hurricane Irma: 1 claim, $110K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Alturas isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Polk County.
Disasters that hit Alturas

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AlturasDeclared for Polk County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

2 households applied for aid
2022

Hurricane Ian

4 households applied for aid
2017

Hurricane Irma

7 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

23 households applied for aid $33K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid
2004

Hurricane Frances

9 households applied for aid $33K aid approved
2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

73 households applied for aid $145K aid approved
Polk County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.
Around Alturas

Alturas and the towns around it

Winter Haven: High, mostly hurricanesCypress Gardens: High, mostly hurricanesInwood: High, mostly hurricanesLake Alfred: High, mostly hurricanesLake Wales: High, mostly hurricanesDundee: Moderate, mostly hurricanesAuburndale: High, mostly hurricanesJan Phyl Village: High, mostly hurricanesEagle Lake: Moderate, mostly hurricanesWahneta: High, mostly hurricanesAlturas: High, mostly hurricanes AlturasWinter Haven
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Alturasmostly hurricanesHigh
Winter Havenmostly hurricanesHigh
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. Alturas covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alturas’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Alturas. 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 Alturas total about $1.1M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/19 · 2025-01-01
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