Samuel Johnson House · Photo: Mthunter58 · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Coker
Coker isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Coker yet. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2021.
What Coker 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
Tornadoes
Earthquakes
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.
Does Coker flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2021
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Coker, from FEMA’s records.
Coker isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Tuscaloosa County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Coker
Disasters that paid out in Coker itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Coker), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
- 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding48 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
- 2005Hurricane Katrina16 households applied for aid$21K aid approved
Tuscaloosa County has had 25 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.
Old photos of Coker after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Coker archive →Coker and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northport | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 34 |
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 Coker faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Coker
Does Coker flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Coker since 2021, $30K in all.
Is Coker 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 Tuscaloosa County, 30% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Coker?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Coker’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 Coker?
By FEMA money that reached Coker, Hurricane Katrina (2005): 16 households applied for aid, $21K approved.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Coker.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Coker’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.