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D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in East Brewton · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, East Brewton faces more hazard damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Brewton gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (61%), then river and rain flooding (33%). Flood insurance has paid 43 claims here since 1978.

Hurricanes 61%River and rain flooding 33%Tornadoes 4%

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 97%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
D−
in Alabama · higher than 97% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
61% of expected building damage
Flood claims
43
paid since 1978 · $2.6M
Flooded more than once
6
properties · 2 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
5
of 23 declared for Escambia County
By hazard

What East Brewton faces

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

Hurricanes

61%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

River and rain flooding

33%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Strong wind Wildfire Earthquakes Hail Lightning Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 East Brewton’s grade

Hurricanes are 61% of the building damage FEMA expects in East Brewton, and East Brewton’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 33% (higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts).

Where East Brewton sits
East Brewton
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− higher expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes61%River and rain flooding33%Tornadoes4%Everything else2%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.9M a year in losses across East Brewton: $1.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of East Brewton’s 2,293 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 East Brewton flood? Sometimes: 43 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in East Brewton, from FEMA’s records: 37.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 90% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 3 claims1979: 0 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 3 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 4 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 5 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 15 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 6 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 5 claims2021: 1 claim2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199519982009
19782026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Georges9 claims · $275K
  • Hurricane Sally5 claims · $360K
  • Hurricane Opal5 claims · $131K
43
paid claims since 1978
$2.6M
paid to owners
6
homes flooded more than once
$60K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Escambia County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to East Brewton

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

  1. 2020Hurricane Sally17 households applied for aid$14K aid approved$55K to the City of East Brewton for repairs5 flood claims paid for it, $360K
  2. 2009Severe Storms and Flooding$330K to the City of East Brewton for repairs6 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2005Hurricane Dennis16 households applied for aid$9K aid approved$21K to the City of East Brewton for repairs
  4. 2004Hurricane Ivan137 households applied for aid$247K aid approved$74K to the City of East Brewton for repairs
  5. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$354 aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in East BrewtonEscambia County only

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

Were you here?

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

Add to the East Brewton archive →
Next door

East Brewton and its neighbors

East Brewton is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Brewton: hazard risk DBrewtonEast Brewton
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
BrewtonDmore damage than 94%hurricanes164
East BrewtonD−more damage than 97%hurricanes43

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 East Brewton faces

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

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 ↗
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 East Brewton

Is East Brewton at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Brewton has higher expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (61%) and river and rain flooding (33%). 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 East Brewton flood?

Flood insurance has paid 43 claims in East Brewton since 1978, $2.6M in all, or 37.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 90% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 6 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Georges (9).

Is East Brewton 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 Escambia County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in East Brewton?

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

By FEMA money that reached East Brewton, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): $330K to the City of East Brewton for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Georges: 9 paid, $275K.

Is East Brewton at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (61%), and East Brewton’s rate for it is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in East Brewton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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