Natural hazards · Ripley

Ripley, TN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ripley comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ripley?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ripley to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes65%Tornadoes14%Inland flooding8%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Ripley faces

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

Earthquakes

65% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Ripley flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978

$548Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $56K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lauderdale County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Ripley

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RipleyDeclared for Lauderdale County only

2011

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

101 households applied for aid $409K aid approved

2010

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

84 households applied for aid $54K aid approved $83K to the City of Ripley for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

Lauderdale County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Ripley covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ripley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Ripley. 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 Ripley total about $6.9M 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.