Mary Esther’s biggest natural hazard is hurricanes
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mary Esther comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 81 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Mary Esther’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Mary Esther flood? Sometimes: 81 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Mary Esther, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Ivan35 claims · $2.8M
- Hurricane Opal22 claims · $1.4M
- The Mid-spring storms6 claims · $65K
Mary Esther is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Okaloosa County.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Mary Esther
Disasters that paid out in Mary Esther itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Mary Esther) and its biggest flood years.
- 2022Hurricane Ian1 household applied for aid
- 2020Hurricane Sally164 households applied for aid$116K aid approved$181K to the City of Mary Esther for repairs7 flood claims paid that year
- 2018Hurricane Michael$8K to the City of Mary Esther for repairs
- 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding94 households applied for aid$185K aid approved$1.1M to the City of Mary Esther for repairs6 flood claims paid that year
- 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds1 household applied for aid
- 2005Hurricane Dennis474 households applied for aid$224K aid approved$931K to the City of Mary Esther for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
Show all 8
- 2004Hurricane Ivan1,716 households applied for aid$1.8M aid approved$480K to the City of Mary Esther for repairs36 flood claims paid that year
- 199522 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
Okaloosa County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Old photos of Mary Esther after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Mary Esther archive →How exposed is Mary Esther?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.
Rated higher than 587 of the 957 Florida towns we cover.
Mary Esther covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Mary Esther faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
Inland flooding
Tornadoes
Get ready for what Mary Esther actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
- Mary Esther residents get 20% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Mary Esther and its neighbors
Mary Esther has the lowest rating of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Walton Beach | Very high | hurricanes | 545 |
| Hurlburt Field | Very high | hurricanes | 0 |
| Mary Esther | Very high | hurricanes | 81 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in July–September
The month each of Okaloosa County’s 33 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Mary Esther’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mary Esther.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Mary Esther, expected losses total about $4.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mary Esther.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Weather alerts: National Weather Service. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.