Natural hazards · Apalachicola

Apalachicola, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Apalachicola comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 70 claims here since 1985. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Apalachicola?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Apalachicola to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes48%Inland flooding20%Coastal flooding8%Cold waves8%Tornadoes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Apalachicola faces

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

Hurricanes

48% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Coastal flooding

8% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 38 years in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Apalachicola flood?

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

70paid claims since 1985

$3.8Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19852026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Michael: 27 claims, $3.0M
Hurricane Dennis: 15 claims, $438K
Hurricane Opal: 9 claims, $54K

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. Apalachicola isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6buildings retrofitted against wind

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Apalachicola

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ApalachicolaDeclared for Franklin County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

147 households applied for aid $46K aid approved $76K to the City of Apalachicola for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

1 household applied for aid $700 aid approved

2020

Hurricane Sally

$88K to the City of Apalachicola for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

594 households applied for aid $512K aid approved $987K to the City of Apalachicola for repairs

2016

Hurricane Hermine

$15K to the City of Apalachicola for repairs

2012

Tropical Storm Debby

188 households applied for aid $50K aid approved $369K to the City of Apalachicola for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

181 households applied for aid $87K aid approved $3.5M to the City of Apalachicola for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

62 households applied for aid $316K aid approved

2000

Tropical Storm Helene

$2K to the City of Apalachicola for repairs

Franklin County has had 38 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes 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. Apalachicola is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Apalachicola’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Apalachicola. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.