Natural hazards · Niceville

Niceville, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Niceville comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 67 claims here since 1991. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Niceville?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Niceville to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes72%Inland flooding12%Tornadoes7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Niceville 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 · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

12% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Niceville flood?

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

67paid claims since 1991

$1.9Mpaid to owners

16homes flooded more than once

19912026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Opal: 25 claims, $270K
Hurricane Ivan: 19 claims, $1.2M
Hurricane Sally: 7 claims, $367K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Niceville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Okaloosa County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Niceville

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NicevilleDeclared for Okaloosa County only

2022

Hurricane Ian

1 household applied for aid

2020

Hurricane Sally

123 households applied for aid $114K aid approved $240K to the City of Niceville for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

1 household applied for aid $22K to the City of Niceville for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

3 households applied for aid $500 aid approved

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

74 households applied for aid $94K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Dennis

332 households applied for aid $163K aid approved $95K to the City of Niceville for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1,295 households applied for aid $762K aid approved $853K to the City of Niceville for repairs

Okaloosa County has had 33 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. Niceville covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Niceville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Niceville. 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 Niceville total about $2.5M 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.