Photo: Kevin C Magee 101234 · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Loxley’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Loxley gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #178 of 187 in Alabama. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (77%), then river and rain flooding (19%). Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1981.
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 Loxley’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Loxley 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 Loxley’s grade
Hurricanes are 77% of the building damage FEMA expects in Loxley, and Loxley’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 1%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #178 of 187 in Alabama; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Loxley’s residents live in 4 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, Loxley has more expected damage per building than 95% of Alabama towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.7M a year in losses across Loxley: $2.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Loxley flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Loxley, from FEMA’s records: 5.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Sally4 claims · $186K
- Hurricane Gustav1 claim · $5K
- Hurricane Georges1 claim · $4K
Loxley 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.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Loxley
Disasters that paid out in Loxley itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Loxley), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Hurricane Sally1,230 households applied for aid$1.1M aid approved$1.2M to the City of Loxley for repairs4 flood claims paid for it, $186K
- 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding147 households applied for aid$217K aid approved$35K to the City of Loxley for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Isaac$6K to the City of Loxley for repairs
- 2008Hurricane Gustav$16K to the City of Loxley for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $5K
- 2005Hurricane Katrina327 households applied for aid$341K aid approved$36K to the City of Loxley for repairs
- 2005Hurricane Dennis61 households applied for aid$12K aid approved$13K to the City of Loxley for repairs
Show all 8
- 2004Hurricane Ivan1,088 households applied for aid$1.2M aid approved$699K to the City of Loxley for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding65 households applied for aid$127K aid approved
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 Loxley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Loxley archive →Loxley and its neighbors
Loxley is 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stapleton | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | — |
| Spanish Fort | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 21 |
| Loxley | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 10 |
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 Loxley 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 Loxley
Is Loxley at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Loxley has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #178 of 187 in Alabama. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (77%) and river and rain flooding (19%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Loxley flood?
Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in Loxley since 1981, $227K in all, or 5.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Sally (4).
Is Loxley 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 Loxley?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Loxley’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 Loxley?
By FEMA money that reached Loxley, Hurricane Sally (2020): 1,230 households applied for aid, $1.1M approved, and $1.2M to the City of Loxley for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Sally: 4 paid, $186K.
Is Loxley at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (77%), and Loxley’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Loxley.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Loxley’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.