Natural hazards · Sewall's Point

Sewall's Point, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sewall's Point comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 95 claims here since 1984. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Sewall's Point?

92
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sewall's Point to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes73%Inland flooding21%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Sewall's Point faces

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

Hurricanes

73% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Sewall's Point flood?

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

95paid claims since 1984
$3.0Mpaid to owners
16homes flooded more than once
19842026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Jeanne: 58 claims, $1.9M
  • Hurricane Frances: 29 claims, $1.0M
  • Hurricane Ivan: 2 claims, $80K

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. Sewall's Point isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Martin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

15homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Sewall's Point

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Sewall's PointDeclared for Martin County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

$58K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
2019

Hurricane Dorian

$107K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
2017

Hurricane Irma

2 households applied for aid $363K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
2016

Hurricane Matthew

$147K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
2005

Hurricane Wilma

2 households applied for aid $836 aid approved $239K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

17 households applied for aid $10K aid approved $106K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid
2004

Hurricane Frances

34 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $1.1M to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
1999

Fl-Hurricane Irene-Dr-Req

$3K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$6K to the Town of Sewall's Point for repairs
Martin County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.
Around Sewall's Point

Sewall's Point and the towns around it

Jensen Beach: Very high, mostly hurricanesOcean Breeze: Very high, mostly hurricanesRio: Very high, mostly hurricanesStuart: Very high, mostly hurricanesPort St. Lucie: Very high, mostly hurricanesSewall's Point: Very high, mostly hurricanes Sewall's PointJensen Beach
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Sewall's Pointmostly hurricanesVery high
Jensen 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. Sewall's Point covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sewall's Point’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sewall's Point. 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 Sewall's Point 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01