Natural hazards · Ruskin

Ruskin, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ruskin comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 562 claims here since 1982. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Ruskin?

59
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ruskin to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes33%Inland flooding24%Tornadoes18%Cold waves13%Coastal flooding6%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Ruskin faces

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

Hurricanes

33% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

24% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Cold waves

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Coastal flooding

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailHeat 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 Ruskin flood?

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

562paid claims since 1982
$31.9Mpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Helene: 278 claims, $26.1M
  • Hurricane Josephine: 64 claims, $772K
  • Blizzard of 1993: 50 claims, $571K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Ruskin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hillsborough County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

13homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Ruskin

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RuskinDeclared for Hillsborough County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

10,243 households applied for aid $14.5M aid approved
2024

Hurricane Helene

3,923 households applied for aid $15.9M aid approved
2024

Hurricane Debby

277 households applied for aid $366K aid approved
2023

Hurricane Idalia

354 households applied for aid $782K aid approved
2022

Hurricane Ian

3,303 households applied for aid $2.1M aid approved
2017

Hurricane Irma

2,652 households applied for aid $1.0M aid approved
2016

Hurricane Hermine

5 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2012

Tropical Storm Debby

9 households applied for aid $5K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

237 households applied for aid $406K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Frances

73 households applied for aid $157K aid approved
Hillsborough County has had 41 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.
Around Ruskin

Ruskin and the towns around it

Sun City Center: High, mostly inland floodingApollo Beach: Moderate, mostly hurricanesWimauma: High, mostly hurricanesBalm: High, mostly hurricanesGibsonton: High, mostly inland floodingRiverview: High, mostly inland floodingRuskin: Moderate, mostly hurricanes RuskinSun City CenterApollo Beach
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Sun City Centermostly inland floodingHigh
Ruskinmostly hurricanesModerate
Apollo Beachmostly hurricanesModerate
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. Ruskin covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ruskin’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Ruskin. 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 Ruskin total about $6.5M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/19 · 2025-01-01