Natural hazards · Crystal River

Crystal River, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Crystal River comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,962 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Crystal River?

98
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Crystal River to be higher than in 98% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Hurricanes60%Coastal flooding31%Inland flooding6%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Crystal River faces

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

Hurricanes

60% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Coastal flooding

31% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

6% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Crystal River flood?

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

1,962paid claims since 1978
$128Mpaid to owners
366homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Helene: 500 claims, $55.8M
  • Blizzard of 1993: 455 claims, $14.4M
  • Hurricane Idalia: 309 claims, $32.5M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 7 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (112) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Crystal River is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Citrus County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

28homes raised above flood level
4buildings retrofitted against wind
2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Crystal River

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Crystal RiverDeclared for Citrus County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

714 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved
2024

Hurricane Helene

1,935 households applied for aid $11.4M aid approved
2024

Hurricane Debby

73 households applied for aid $140K aid approved
2023

Hurricane Idalia

1,356 households applied for aid $5.0M aid approved $2.2M to the City of Crystal River for repairs
2017

Hurricane Irma

1,867 households applied for aid $618K aid approved $145K to the City of Crystal River for repairs
2016

Hurricane Hermine

618 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved $221K to the City of Crystal River for repairs
2012

Tropical Storm Debby

52 households applied for aid $48K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

317 households applied for aid $303K aid approved $197K to the City of Crystal River for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

24 households applied for aid $10K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Frances

572 households applied for aid $479K aid approved $183K to the City of Crystal River for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

$186K to the City of Crystal River for repairs
Citrus County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Crystal River

Crystal River and the towns around it

Homosassa Springs: Very high, mostly hurricanesLecanto: Very high, mostly hurricanesHomosassa: Very high, mostly coastal floodingSugarmill Woods: Very high, mostly hurricanesCrystal River: Very high, mostly hurricanes Crystal RiverHomosassa Springs
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Crystal Rivermostly hurricanesVery high
Homosassa Springsmostly 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. Crystal River 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 Crystal River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Crystal River. 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01