Natural hazards · Chipley

Chipley, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chipley comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 2002. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chipley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chipley to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes66%Inland flooding17%Tornadoes10%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Chipley faces

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

Hurricanes

66% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 53 years in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chipley flood?

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

10paid claims since 2002

$373Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

20022026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sally: 4 claims, $304K
Hurricane Michael: 1 claim, $468

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

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

53flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

8buildings retrofitted against wind

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Chipley

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChipleyDeclared for Washington County only

2020

Hurricane Sally

$709K to the City of Chipley for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

2,366 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved $1.4M to the City of Chipley for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

27 households applied for aid $51K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$12K to the City of Chipley for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

179 households applied for aid $264K aid approved $116K to the City of Chipley for repairs

2004

Hurricane Frances

$2K to the City of Chipley for repairs

Washington County has had 32 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. Chipley 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 Chipley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Chipley. 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.