Natural hazards · Gifford

Gifford, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gifford comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2024. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gifford?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gifford to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes79%Inland flooding16%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Gifford faces

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

Hurricanes

79% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gifford flood?

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

3paid claims since 2024

$154Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20242026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Milton: 3 claims, $154K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Indian River County.

Disasters that hit Gifford

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GiffordDeclared for Indian River County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

1 household applied for aid $11K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Irma

12 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Jeanne

1 household applied for aid $513 aid approved

2004

Hurricane Frances

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

Indian River County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around Gifford

Gifford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Giffordmostly hurricanesVery high

Vero Beachmostly 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. Gifford covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gifford’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Gifford. 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 Gifford total about $3.3M 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.