TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
WahnetaGood night
Natural hazards · Wahneta

Wahneta, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wahneta comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2004. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Wahneta?

71
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wahneta to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes38%Inland flooding31%Strong wind11%Lightning7%Tornadoes6%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Wahneta faces

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

Hurricanes

38% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lightning

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesDrought

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 Wahneta flood?

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

3paid claims since 2004
$35Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20042026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ian: 2 claims, $35K
  • Hurricane Frances: 1 claim, $172
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Wahneta isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Polk County.
Disasters that hit Wahneta

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WahnetaDeclared for Polk County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

9 households applied for aid
2022

Hurricane Ian

6 households applied for aid $8K aid approved
2017

Hurricane Irma

50 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

110 households applied for aid $251K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Ivan

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Frances

42 households applied for aid $134K aid approved
2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

111 households applied for aid $278K aid approved
Polk County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.
Around Wahneta

Wahneta and the towns around it

Eagle Lake: Moderate, mostly hurricanesWinter Haven: High, mostly hurricanesCypress Gardens: High, mostly hurricanesInwood: High, mostly hurricanesLake Alfred: High, mostly hurricanesAlturas: High, mostly hurricanesLake Wales: High, mostly hurricanesDundee: Moderate, mostly hurricanesAuburndale: High, mostly hurricanesJan Phyl Village: High, mostly hurricanesWahneta: High, mostly hurricanes WahnetaEagle LakeWinter Haven
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Wahnetamostly hurricanesHigh
Winter Havenmostly hurricanesHigh
Eagle Lakemostly 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. Wahneta covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wahneta’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Wahneta. 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 Wahneta total about $403K 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.

We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Wahneta, FLView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Wahneta is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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