Natural hazards · Fort Meade

Fort Meade, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fort Meade comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Fort Meade?

53
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fort Meade to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes50%Inland flooding25%Strong wind10%Tornadoes6%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Fort Meade faces

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

Hurricanes

50% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsWinter weatherLandslidesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Fort Meade flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Fort Meade.

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Fort Meade isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Polk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind
Disasters that hit Fort Meade

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fort MeadeDeclared for Polk County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

857 households applied for aid $605K aid approved
2022

Hurricane Ian

938 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $284K to the City of Fort Meade for repairs
2017

Hurricane Irma

1,698 households applied for aid $754K aid approved $458K to the City of Fort Meade for repairs
2012

Tropical Storm Debby

5 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2008

Tropical Storm Fay

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved $4K to the City of Fort Meade for repairs
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

486 households applied for aid $1.0M aid approved $62K to the City of Fort Meade for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

8 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Frances

293 households applied for aid $520K aid approved $30K to the City of Fort Meade for repairs
2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

1,650 households applied for aid $2.4M aid approved $754K to the City of Fort Meade for repairs
Polk County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.
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. Fort Meade covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fort Meade’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fort Meade. 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 Fort Meade total about $311K 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