Natural hazards · Highland Park

Highland Park, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highland Park comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2005. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Highland Park?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Hurricanes39%Inland flooding31%Strong wind10%Cold waves6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Highland Park faces

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

Hurricanes

39% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsWinter weatherAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Highland Park flood?

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

2paid claims since 2005

$36Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20052026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ian: 1 claim, $35K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Highland Park 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.

Disasters that hit Highland Park

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Highland ParkDeclared for Polk County only

2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

$14K to the Village of Highland Park for repairs

Polk County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around Highland Park

Highland Park and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Highland Parkmostly hurricanesHigh

Lake Walesmostly 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. Highland Park covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highland Park’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Highland Park. 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 Highland Park total about $832K 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.