Natural hazards · Wildwood

Wildwood, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wildwood comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1998. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wildwood?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wildwood to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes45%Inland flooding25%Tornadoes13%Wildfire5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Wildwood 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 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Wildfire

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Wildwood flood?

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

12paid claims since 1998

$110Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Milton: 10 claims, $88K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sumter County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Wildwood

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WildwoodDeclared for Sumter County only

2024

Hurricane Milton

884 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $348K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2024

Hurricane Helene

$104K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2024

Hurricane Debby

$54K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2023

Hurricane Idalia

$32K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2022

Hurricane Ian

$69K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

1,833 households applied for aid $727K aid approved $164K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

30 households applied for aid $93K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Jeanne

505 households applied for aid $770K aid approved $62K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2004

Hurricane Frances

446 households applied for aid $643K aid approved $117K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

Sumter County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Wildwood

Wildwood and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

The Villagesmostly inland floodingHigh

Wildwoodmostly hurricanesHigh

Colemanmostly hurricanesHigh

Leesburgmostly inland floodingLow

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. Wildwood covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wildwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wildwood. 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 Wildwood total about $1.7M 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.