Photo: Please attribute this image as the work of "DiscoverWithDima." · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Gulf Shores’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gulf Shores gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, #185 of 187 in Alabama. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (66%), then river and rain flooding (26%). Flood insurance has paid 5,586 claims here since 1978.
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 stands out about Gulf Shores’ natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Gulf Shores faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
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 Gulf Shores’ grade
Hurricanes are 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Gulf Shores, and Gulf Shores’ rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 5%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #185 of 187 in Alabama; higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Gulf Shores’ residents live in 6 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Alabama town has higher expected damage than 66% of U.S. towns; within the state, Gulf Shores has more expected damage per building than 99% of Alabama towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $27.5M a year in losses across Gulf Shores: $25.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Gulf Shores flood? Yes: 5,586 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gulf Shores, from FEMA’s records: 366.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ivan1,749 claims · $105M
- Hurricane Katrina791 claims · $12.6M
- Hurricane Georges617 claims · $16.4M
Gulf Shores isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Baldwin County.12 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Gulf Shores
Disasters that paid out in Gulf Shores itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Gulf Shores), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Hurricane Sally2,950 households applied for aid$2.4M aid approved$15.2M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs544 flood claims paid for it, $18.1M
- 2017Hurricane Nate$5.9M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding301 households applied for aid$953K aid approved$97K to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs80 flood claims paid that year
- 2012Hurricane Isaac$1.6M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs17 flood claims paid that year
- 2009Tropical Storm Ida$1.4M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding Associated with Hurricane Ike$2.0M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs
Show all 12
- 2008Hurricane Gustav$2.3M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs
- 2005Hurricane Katrina635 households applied for aid$658K aid approved$9.2M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs791 flood claims paid for it, $12.6M
- 2005Hurricane Dennis95 households applied for aid$24K aid approved$329K to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs
- 2004Hurricane Ivan3,248 households applied for aid$4.1M aid approved$22.1M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs1,749 flood claims paid for it, $105M
- 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
- 2002Tropical Storm Isidore$720K to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs245 flood claims paid that year
Baldwin County has had 31 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.
Old photos of Gulf Shores after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Gulf Shores archive →Gulf Shores and its neighbors
Gulf Shores is 2nd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foley | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 195 |
| Gulf Shores | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 5,586 |
| Orange Beach | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 1,665 |
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 Gulf Shores faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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 Gulf Shores
Is Gulf Shores at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gulf Shores has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #185 of 187 in Alabama. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (66%) and river and rain flooding (26%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Gulf Shores flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5,586 claims in Gulf Shores since 1978, $188M in all, or 366.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 916 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ivan (1,749).
Is Gulf Shores 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 Baldwin County, 64% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 9.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Gulf Shores?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Gulf Shores’ 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 Gulf Shores?
By FEMA money that reached Gulf Shores, Hurricane Ivan (2004): 3,248 households applied for aid, $4.1M approved, and $22.1M to the City of Gulf Shores for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Ivan: 1,749 paid, $105M.
Is Gulf Shores at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Gulf Shores’ rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gulf Shores.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Gulf Shores’ 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.