Natural hazards · Lake Butler

Lake Butler, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lake Butler comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1994.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lake Butler?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lake Butler to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding47%Hurricanes20%Tornadoes11%Strong wind9%Cold waves9%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Lake Butler faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailHeat 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 Lake Butler flood?

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

13paid claims since 1994

$492Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19942026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ian: 4 claims, $135K
Hurricane Irma: 2 claims, $153K
Hurricane Milton: 2 claims, $70K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Orange County.

Disasters that hit Lake Butler

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Orange County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lake Butler itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Lake ButlerDeclared for Orange County only

Orange County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around Lake Butler

Lake Butler and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Horizon Westmostly inland floodingModerate

Bay Hillmostly inland floodingModerate

Lake Butlermostly inland floodingModerate

Ocoeemostly inland floodingModerate

Winter Gardenmostly inland floodingModerate

Gothamostly 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. Lake Butler covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lake Butler’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Lake Butler. 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 Lake Butler total about $8.0M 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.