Natural hazards · Mulberry

Mulberry, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mulberry comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2002. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mulberry?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mulberry to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes47%Inland flooding18%Wildfire14%Strong wind12%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Mulberry faces

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

Hurricanes

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 4% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

14% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Mulberry flood?

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

2paid claims since 2002

$12Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20022026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Frances: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Mulberry 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Mulberry

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MulberryDeclared for Polk County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

3,947 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $33K to the City of Mulberry for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

2,268 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $145K to the City of Mulberry for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

3,911 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved $94K to the City of Mulberry for repairs

2012

Tropical Storm Debby

12 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2008

Tropical Storm Fay

2 households applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Wilma

$6K to the City of Mulberry for repairs

2004

Hurricane Jeanne

1,205 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $44K to the City of Mulberry for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

21 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Frances

372 households applied for aid $365K aid approved $25K to the City of Mulberry for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

192 households applied for aid $216K aid approved $6K to the City of Mulberry for repairs

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

Around Mulberry

Mulberry and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Willow Oakmostly hurricanesHigh

Fuller Heightsmostly hurricanesHigh

Lakeland Highlandsmostly hurricanesHigh

Mulberrymostly 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. Mulberry 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 Mulberry’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mulberry. 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.