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Natural hazards · Cape Coral

Cape Coral, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cape Coral comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4,381 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Cape Coral?

84
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cape Coral to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes71%Inland flooding21%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Cape Coral faces

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

Hurricanes

71% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Ice 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 Cape Coral flood?

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

4,381paid claims since 1979
$455Mpaid to owners
26homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ian: 4,178 claims, $450M
  • Hurricane Charley: 31 claims, $298K
  • Hurricane Irma: 26 claims, $577K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Cape Coral is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Lee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8buildings retrofitted against wind
1homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Cape Coral

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Cape CoralDeclared for Lee County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

14,581 households applied for aid $2.3M aid approved $2.4M to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2024

Hurricane Helene

2,476 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved
2022

Hurricane Ian

59,215 households applied for aid $63.1M aid approved $91.9M to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2017

Hurricane Irma

26,907 households applied for aid $6.7M aid approved $15.6M to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2012

Tropical Storm Debby

$2K to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2008

Tropical Storm Fay

6 households applied for aid $950 aid approved $175K to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2005

Hurricane Wilma

990 households applied for aid $352K aid approved $2.6M to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

79 households applied for aid $10K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Frances

516 households applied for aid $370K aid approved $143K to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

10,523 households applied for aid $4.3M aid approved $10.4M to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
2001

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding Associated With Tropical Storm Gabrielle

$10K to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
1999

Tropical Storm Irene - Florida

$36K to the City of Cape Coral for repairs
Lee County has had 38 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.
Around Cape Coral

Cape Coral and the towns around it

North Fort Myers: Very high, mostly hurricanesMatlacha Isles-Matlacha Shores: Very high, mostly hurricanesFort Myers: Very high, mostly hurricanesBurnt Store Marina: Very high, mostly hurricanesLochmoor Waterway Estates: Very high, mostly hurricanesSuncoast Estates: Very high, mostly hurricanesTice: Very high, mostly hurricanesGateway: Very high, mostly hurricanesWhiskey Creek: Very high, mostly hurricanesBuckingham: Very high, mostly hurricanesPine Manor: Very high, mostly hurricanesLehigh Acres: Very high, mostly hurricanesMcGregor: Very high, mostly hurricanesCape Coral: Very high, mostly hurricanes Cape CoralNorth Fort MyersMatlacha Isles-Matlacha ShoresFort MyersBurnt Store MarinaLochmoor Waterway Estates
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
North Fort Myersmostly hurricanesVery high
Matlacha Isles-Matlacha Shoresmostly hurricanesVery high
Cape Coralmostly hurricanesVery high
Burnt Store Marinamostly hurricanesVery high
Lochmoor Waterway Estatesmostly hurricanesVery high
Fort Myersmostly hurricanesVery high
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. Cape Coral covers 40 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cape Coral’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cape Coral. 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 Cape Coral total about $76.4M 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/18 · 2025-01-01
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