Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0More hazard damage per building is expected in North Pole than in 87% of U.S. towns, mostly from earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Pole gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (83%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1991.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What North Pole faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind North Pole’s grade
Earthquakes are 83% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Pole, and North Pole’s rate of earthquakes damage is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 9%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
D higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of North Pole’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.6M a year in losses across North Pole: $1.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Pole flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1991
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Pole, from FEMA’s records: 3.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 51% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
North Pole isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Fairbanks North Star Borough.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to North Pole
Disasters that paid out in North Pole itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of North Pole), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2002Earthquake19 households applied for aid$13K aid approved
Fairbanks North Star Borough has had 8 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms.
Also 6 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Fairbanks North Star Borough, 2004–2025.
Old photos of North Pole after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Pole archive →North Pole and its neighbors
North Pole has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Pole | Dmore damage than 87% | earthquakes | 3 |
| Badger | Dmore damage than 90% | earthquakes | 1 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what North Pole faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in North Pole
Is North Pole at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Pole has higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (83%) and wildfire (9%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does North Pole flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in North Pole since 1991, $36K in all, or 3.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 51% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is North Pole in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Fairbanks North Star Borough, 26% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in North Pole?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Pole’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in North Pole?
By FEMA money that reached North Pole, Earthquake (2002): 19 households applied for aid, $13K approved.
Is North Pole at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (83%), and North Pole’s rate for it is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Pole.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Pole’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.