Natural hazards · Nashville

Nashville, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Nashville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 42 claims here since 1983. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Nashville?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Nashville to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding42%Hurricanes18%Tornadoes16%Heat waves6%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Nashville faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Nashville flood?

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

42paid claims since 1983

$1.8Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 14 claims, $964K
Hurricane Matthew: 13 claims, $521K
Hurricane Isabel: 1 claim, $521

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Nashville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Nash County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

30flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Nashville

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NashvilleDeclared for Nash County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

41 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

2016

Hurricane Matthew

124 households applied for aid $57K aid approved $69K to the Town of Nashville for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

69 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $100K to the Town of Nashville for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

77 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $34K to the Town of Nashville for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$57K to the Town of Nashville for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$3K to the Town of Nashville for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$189K to the Town of Nashville for repairs

Nash County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

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. Nashville covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Nashville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Nashville. 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 Nashville total about $1.5M 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.