Natural hazards · Tavares

Tavares, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tavares comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2002. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tavares?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tavares to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding52%Hurricanes20%Tornadoes17%Strong wind6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Tavares faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hurricanes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Tavares flood?

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

5paid claims since 2002

$26Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20022026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irma: 1 claim, $2K
Hurricane Milton: 1 claim, $13K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lake County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Tavares

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TavaresDeclared for Lake County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

1,288 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $155K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2023

Hurricane Idalia

$9K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2022

Hurricane Nicole

19 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $4K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

647 households applied for aid $206K aid approved $33K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

2,374 households applied for aid $740K aid approved $554K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

$21K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2008

Tropical Storm Fay

10 households applied for aid $12K aid approved $36K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2004

Hurricane Jeanne

330 households applied for aid $249K aid approved $46K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

3 households applied for aid

2004

Hurricane Frances

207 households applied for aid $113K aid approved $126K to the City of Tavares for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

23 households applied for aid $32K aid approved $20K to the City of Tavares for repairs

Lake County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and freezes.

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. Tavares covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tavares’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Tavares. 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 Tavares total about $4.3M 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.