Natural hazards · Gonzalez

Gonzalez, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gonzalez comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1989. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gonzalez?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gonzalez to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes68%Inland flooding22%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Gonzalez faces

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

Hurricanes

68% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gonzalez flood?

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

48paid claims since 1989

$1.6Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sally: 22 claims, $878K
Mid-spring storms: 11 claims, $432K
Hurricane Georges (Panhandle): 3 claims, $89K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Escambia County.

Disasters that hit Gonzalez

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GonzalezDeclared for Escambia County only

2020

Hurricane Sally

4 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Dennis

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

22 households applied for aid $26K aid approved

Escambia County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Gonzalez

Gonzalez and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gonzalezmostly hurricanesVery high

Ensleymostly 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. Gonzalez covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gonzalez’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Gonzalez. 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 Gonzalez total about $6.6M 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.