Natural hazards · Mexico Beach

Mexico Beach, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mexico Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 785 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mexico Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mexico Beach to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes72%Inland flooding20%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Mexico Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

72% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Mexico Beach flood?

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

785paid claims since 1978

$105Mpaid to owners

32homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Michael: 547 claims, $98.1M
Hurricane Opal: 151 claims, $5.5M
Hurricane Kate: 19 claims, $122K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bay County.

Disasters that hit Mexico Beach

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Mexico Beach itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Mexico Beach.

Brought FEMA money into Mexico BeachDeclared for Bay County only

2020

Hurricane Sally

2 households applied for aid $162K to the City of Mexico Beach for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

1,016 households applied for aid $3.4M aid approved $106M to the City of Mexico Beach for repairs

2012

Hurricane Isaac

$16K to the City of Mexico Beach for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$167K to the City of Mexico Beach for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

8 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $672K to the City of Mexico Beach for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

8 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $533K to the City of Mexico Beach for repairs

2001

Tropical Storm Allison

$16K to the City of Mexico Beach for repairs

Bay County has had 40 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

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. Mexico Beach is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mexico Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mexico Beach. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.