Natural hazards · Paris

Paris, TN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Paris comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Paris?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Paris to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and earthquakes.

Cold waves48%Earthquakes29%Tornadoes9%Inland flooding8%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Paris faces

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

Cold waves

48% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

29% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 53 years in the area

Inland flooding

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Paris flood?

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

26paid claims since 1979

$281Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

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. Paris isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Henry County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Paris

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ParisDeclared for Henry County only

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornado

$34K to the City of Paris for repairs

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

13 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2014

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

$10K to the City of Paris for repairs

2011

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

40 households applied for aid $65K aid approved

2011

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

$86K to the City of Paris for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

60 households applied for aid $45K aid approved $74K to the City of Paris for repairs

Henry County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

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. Paris covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Paris’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Paris. 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 Paris total about $15.4M 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.