Natural hazards · El Portal

El Portal, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in El Portal comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 45 claims here since 1991. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is El Portal?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in El Portal to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding47%Hurricanes44%Everything else10%

By hazard

What El Portal faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 El Portal flood?

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

45paid claims since 1991

$501Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19912026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 7 claims, $49K
Hurricane Irma: 4 claims, $102K
Low pressure system: 1 claim, $6K

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

Insurance rates: Dade County.

Disasters that hit El Portal

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in El Portal itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Village of El Portal.

Brought FEMA money into El PortalDeclared for Dade County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

1 household applied for aid

2017

Hurricane Irma

382 households applied for aid $161K aid approved $1.3M to the Village of El Portal for repairs

2005

Hurricane Wilma

350 households applied for aid $191K aid approved $488K to the Village of El Portal for repairs

2005

Tropical Storm Rita

$3K to the Village of El Portal for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$94K to the Village of El Portal for repairs

2004

Hurricane Frances

34 households applied for aid $37K aid approved $16K to the Village of El Portal for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$23K to the Village of El Portal for repairs

1999

Fl-Hurricane Irene-Dr-Req

$10K to the Village of El Portal for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations

$870 to the Village of El Portal for repairs

Dade County has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around El Portal

El Portal and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Little Rivermostly inland floodingHigh

El Portalmostly inland floodingHigh

Miami Shoresmostly hurricanesHigh

Miamimostly 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. El Portal 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 El Portal’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of El Portal. 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.