Natural Disasters in Columbia, AL
Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data
Natural Hazard Risk
Source: FEMA National Risk IndexRisk Score
87.8
Relatively Moderate
Expected Annual Loss
85.1
Score (0-100)
Social Vulnerability
72.2
Score (0-100)
Community Resilience
76.0
Score (0-100)
Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.
Disaster History & Federal Spending
Source: FEMATotal Declarations
26
Public Assistance
$17.0M
Individual Assistance
$985K
Most Common Type
Hurricane
11 declarations
Public Assistance by Category
| Disaster | Type | Date | PA $ | IA $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene → | Tropical Storm | Sep 2024 | $20K | — |
| Hurricane Sally → | Hurricane | Sep 2020 | $1.8M | — |
| Hurricane Sally → | Hurricane | Sep 2020 | — | — |
| Covid-19 → | Biological | Mar 2020 | — | — |
| Hurricane Michael → | Hurricane | Nov 2018 | $8.6M | — |
| Hurricane Michael → | Hurricane | Oct 2018 | — | — |
| Hurricane Nate → | Hurricane | Oct 2017 | — | — |
| Hurricane Irma → | Hurricane | Sep 2017 | $62K | — |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line … → | Severe Storm | Jan 2016 | $1.1M | — |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line … → | Severe Storm | May 2014 | $911K | — |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line … → | Severe Storm | Apr 2011 | — | — |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-l… → | Severe Storm | Apr 2011 | — | — |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes & Str… → | Severe Storm | Apr 2009 | $3.4M | $58K |
| Hurricane Gustav → | Hurricane | Aug 2008 | — | — |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation → | Hurricane | Sep 2005 | — | — |
| Hurricane Dennis → | Hurricane | Jul 2005 | $419K | — |
| Hurricane Ivan → | Hurricane | Sep 2004 | $596K | $11K |
| Severe Storms and Tornadoes → | Severe Storm | Nov 2002 | — | — |
| Severe Storms and Tornadoes → | Severe Storm | Dec 2000 | $10K | — |
| Severe Storms and Flooding → | Severe Storm | Mar 1998 | — | — |
Showing 20 of 33 disasters
PA = FEMA Public Assistance (infrastructure recovery). IA = Individual Assistance (homeowner/renter aid).
Flood Insurance (NFIP)
Source: FEMA NFIPTotal Claims
194
Total Claims Paid
$4,107,331
Avg Claim Payout
$21,172
County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.
Hazard Mitigation
Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation AssistanceMitigation Projects
22
Federal Funding
$1,693,709
Properties Protected
51
Avg Benefit-Cost Ratio
1.65
BCR
Top Mitigation Project Types
| Project Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|
| 206.1: Safe Room (Tornado and Severe Wind Shelter) - Private Structures | 5 | $104,192 |
| 601.1: Generators | 4 | $164,142 |
| 200.1: Acquisition of Private Real Property (Structures and Land) - Riverine | 3 | $461,909 |
| 403.1: Stormwater Management - Culverts | 3 | $595,932 |
| 600.1: Warning Systems (as a Component of a Planned, Adopted, and Exercised Risk Reduction Plan) | 2 | $316,244 |
Federally funded projects to reduce future disaster risk. Only includes completed or obligated projects.
Columbia has a relatively moderate overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are tornado, lightning, hurricane. The area has had 26 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is hurricane (11 declarations). 194 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $16,969,818 in public assistance recovery funding. $985,343 has been distributed in individual assistance to disaster-affected residents. 22 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.