Natural hazards · University

University, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in University comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 2004.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is University?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in University to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes30%Inland flooding26%Tornadoes14%Cold waves13%Strong wind11%Everything else6%

By hazard

What University faces

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

Hurricanes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HailHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce 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 University flood?

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

12paid claims since 2004

$2.4Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ian: 10 claims, $2.4M
Hurricane Frances: 1 claim, $6K
Hurricane Jeanne: 1 claim, $11K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Orange County.

Disasters that hit University

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Orange County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching University itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into UniversityDeclared for Orange County only

Orange County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around University

University and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Alafayamostly inland floodingModerate

Universitymostly hurricanesLow

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. University covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to University’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to University. 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 University total about $9.2M 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.