TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
LakelandGood morning
Natural hazards · Lakeland

Lakeland, TN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lakeland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2009. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lakeland?

45
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lakeland to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding37%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes16%Cold waves14%Heat waves11%Everything else1%
By hazard

What Lakeland faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 74 years in the area

Earthquakes

16% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Cold waves

14% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

11% 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 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 Lakeland flood?

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

9paid claims since 2009
$428Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
20092026

Biggest named events

  • Late spring storms: 1 claim, $40K
  • Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $107K

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
No community discount. Lakeland 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Lakeland

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LakelandDeclared for Shelby County only
2026

Severe Winter Storm

18 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $139K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2023

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$455K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2022

Severe Winter Storm

$139K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2017

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$8K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2014

Severe Winter Storm

$17K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2011

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

2 households applied for aid
2010

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

24 households applied for aid $131K aid approved $7K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2009

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

$50K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2008

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

1 household applied for aid $2K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, High Winds, and Heavy Rain

24 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $103K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
Shelby County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Lakeland

Lakeland and the towns around it

Bartlett: Moderate, mostly inland floodingArlington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMemphis: High, mostly earthquakesGallaway: High, mostly earthquakesGermantown: High, mostly inland floodingSouthaven: Moderate, mostly earthquakesOlive Branch: Moderate, mostly earthquakesWest Memphis: Very high, mostly earthquakesLakeland: Moderate, mostly inland flooding LakelandBartlettArlingtonMemphis
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Memphismostly earthquakesHigh
Bartlettmostly inland floodingModerate
Arlingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Lakelandmostly inland floodingModerate
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. Lakeland covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lakeland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lakeland. 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 Lakeland total about $3.9M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Lakeland, TNView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Lakeland 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/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map