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Alabama Midland Railway DepotAlabama Midland Railway Depot · Photo: The Bushranger · CC BY-SA 4.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Ashford · FEMA

FEMA puts Ashford’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ashford gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%), then hurricanes (26%). Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 64%Hurricanes 26%Tornadoes 8%

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

more than 76%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C−
in Alabama · higher than 76% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
64% of expected building damage
Flood claims
17
paid since 1978 · $594K
Flooded more than once
3
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
4
of 23 declared for Houston County
By hazard

What Ashford faces

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

River and rain flooding

64%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

26%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Ice storms Lightning Hail Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts tornadoes at 18% of Ashford’s expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (7.7%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Ashford’s grade

River and rain flooding is 64% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ashford, and Ashford’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 26% (higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Ashford sits
Ashford
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Ashford’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding64%Hurricanes26%Tornadoes8%Everything else2%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Ashford: $848K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Ashford’s 2,246 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Ashford flood? Sometimes: 17 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ashford, from FEMA’s records: 16.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 81% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 1 claim1979: 0 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 1 claim1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 4 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 3 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 1 claim2023: 0 claims2024: 5 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200920132024
19782026
17
paid claims since 1978
$594K
paid to owners
3
homes flooded more than once
$35K
average claim
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

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

Insurance rates: Houston County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
2storm safe rooms built
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Ashford

Disasters that paid out in Ashford itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Ashford), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2018Hurricane Michael$27K to the City of Ashford for repairs
  2. 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$28K to the City of Ashford for repairs
  3. 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes and Straight-line39 households applied for aid$144K aid approved$13K to the City of Ashford for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
  4. 2004Hurricane Ivan5 households applied for aid$3K aid approved$12K to the City of Ashford for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AshfordHouston County only

Houston County has had 23 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Ashford archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Ashford faces

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

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 ↗
Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
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 Ashford

Is Ashford at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ashford has higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%) and hurricanes (26%). 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 Ashford flood?

Flood insurance has paid 17 claims in Ashford since 1978, $594K in all, or 16.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 81% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 3 properties have flooded more than once.

Is Ashford 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 Houston County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Ashford?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ashford’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 Ashford?

By FEMA money that reached Ashford, Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes and Straight-line (2009): 39 households applied for aid, $144K approved, and $13K to the City of Ashford for repairs.

Is Ashford at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (64%), and Ashford’s rate for it is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ashford.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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