Natural hazards · Orchid

Orchid, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Orchid comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1998. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Orchid?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Orchid to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes84%Inland flooding13%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Orchid faces

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

Hurricanes

84% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Ice 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 Orchid flood?

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

6paid claims since 1998

$49Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Jeanne: 4 claims, $36K
Tropical Storm Fay: 1 claim, $12K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Indian River County.

Disasters that hit Orchid

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OrchidDeclared for Indian River County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

3 households applied for aid $500 aid approved

2004

Hurricane Jeanne

4 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Frances

2 households applied for aid

Indian River County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around Orchid

Orchid and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Orchidmostly hurricanesVery high

Windsormostly hurricanesVery high

Wabasso Beachmostly hurricanesVery high

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. Orchid 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 Orchid’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Orchid. 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.