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Natural hazards · Germantown

Germantown, TN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Germantown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 52 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Germantown?

64
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Germantown to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding43%Earthquakes26%Tornadoes13%Cold waves10%Heat waves8%
By hazard

What Germantown faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places
Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Germantown flood?

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

52paid claims since 1978
$2.9Mpaid to owners
8homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Late spring storms: 2 claims, $26K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Germantown isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Shelby County.
Disasters that hit Germantown

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GermantownDeclared for Shelby County only
2026

Severe Winter Storm

55 households applied for aid $23K aid approved $5K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2025

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$209K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2023

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$186K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2022

Severe Winter Storm

$745K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2017

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$43K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2011

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2011

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

$76K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

9 households applied for aid $424 aid approved $18K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$33K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $26K to the City of Germantown for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, High Winds, and Heavy Rain

110 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $482K to the City of Germantown for repairs
Shelby County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Germantown

Germantown and the towns around it

Memphis: High, mostly earthquakesCollierville: High, mostly inland floodingBartlett: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLakeland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouthaven: Moderate, mostly earthquakesOlive Branch: Moderate, mostly earthquakesWest Memphis: Very high, mostly earthquakesPiperton: High, mostly earthquakesGermantown: High, mostly inland flooding GermantownMemphisCollierville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Memphismostly earthquakesHigh
Germantownmostly inland floodingHigh
Colliervillemostly inland floodingHigh
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. Germantown covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Germantown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Germantown. 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 Germantown total about $25.6M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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