Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to South Van Horn

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Natural hazards in South Van Horn · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in South Van Horn

South Van Horn isn’t graded for hazard risk: South Van Horn has 572 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2003.

Flood claims
4
paid since 2003 · $312K
Disasters paid out here
0
of 8 declared for Fairbanks North Star Borough
By hazard

What South Van Horn faces

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

Earthquakes

93%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

6%of expected building damage
Well below average · among the lowest of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Winter storms top 1% Wildfire Ice storms Hail Strong wind Cold waves Landslides Lightning Volcanic activity
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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.

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 South Van Horn flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 2003

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2003: 1 claim2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 1 claim2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 2 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200320062014
20032026
4
paid claims since 2003
$312K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$78K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

South Van Horn 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.
Disasters

The storms South Van Horn remembers

None of the 8 disasters declared for Fairbanks North Star Borough shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching South Van Horn itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

  1. 20142 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
  2. 20031 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
  3. 20061 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in South Van HornFairbanks North Star Borough only

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.

Were you here?

Old photos of South Van Horn after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the South Van Horn archive →
Next door

South Van Horn and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

College: hazard risk C−Fairbanks: hazard risk C−Chena Ridge: hazard risk C−CollegeFairbanksChena RidgeSouth Van Horn
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
FairbanksC−more damage than 82%earthquakes29
CollegeC−more damage than 82%earthquakes12
Chena RidgeC−more damage than 85%earthquakes42

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what South Van Horn faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in South Van Horn

Does South Van Horn flood?

Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in South Van Horn since 2003, $312K in all.

Is South Van Horn 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 South Van Horn?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for South Van Horn’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Van Horn.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where South Van Horn’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.