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Natural hazards · Waverly

Waverly, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waverly comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Waverly?

65
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waverly to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes45%Inland flooding25%Strong wind12%Everything else18%
By hazard

What Waverly faces

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

Hurricanes

45% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailCold 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 Waverly flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Waverly.

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Waverly 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 Waverly

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaverlyDeclared for Polk County only
2024

Hurricane Milton

93 households applied for aid $146K aid approved
2022

Hurricane Ian

106 households applied for aid $149K aid approved
2017

Hurricane Irma

176 households applied for aid $69K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Jeanne

198 households applied for aid $600K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Ivan

20 households applied for aid $12K aid approved
2004

Hurricane Frances

94 households applied for aid $291K aid approved
2004

Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley

230 households applied for aid $448K aid approved
Polk County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.
Around Waverly

Waverly and the towns around it

Lake Wales: High, mostly hurricanesDundee: Moderate, mostly hurricanesWinter Haven: High, mostly hurricanesHighland Park: High, mostly hurricanesLake Hamilton: High, mostly hurricanesWaverly: High, mostly hurricanes WaverlyLake WalesDundee
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Waverlymostly hurricanesHigh
Lake Walesmostly hurricanesHigh
Dundeemostly 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. Waverly is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waverly’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Waverly. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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
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