Natural hazards · Forest

Forest, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Forest comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1986. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Forest?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Forest to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes27%Hurricanes21%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Forest faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

HailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce 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 Forest flood?

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

13paid claims since 1986

$136Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19862026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irma: 5 claims, $92K
Hurricane Milton: 1 claim, $947
Hurricane Ian: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Seminole County.

Disasters that hit Forest

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ForestDeclared for Seminole County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

17 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2022

Hurricane Ian

11 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Irma

48 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

1 household applied for aid

Seminole County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and freezes.

Around Forest

Forest and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Altamonte Springsmostly inland floodingModerate

Wekiwa Springsmostly inland floodingModerate

Forest Citymostly inland floodingLow

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. Forest covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Forest’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Forest. 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 Forest total about $4.2M 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.