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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Malcolm · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Malcolm

Malcolm isn’t graded for hazard risk: Malcolm has 204 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 21 declared for Washington County
By hazard

What Malcolm 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

49%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Hurricanes

40%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Strong wind top 3% Wildfire Earthquakes Hail Lightning top 1% Ice storms Cold waves top 4% Coastal flooding Winter storms Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts tornadoes at 13% of Malcolm’s expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (4.6%), 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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Malcolm flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Malcolm. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Malcolm

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

  1. 2020Hurricane Zeta31 households applied for aid$79K aid approved
  2. 2005Hurricane Katrina65 households applied for aid$104K aid approved
  3. 2004Hurricane Ivan77 households applied for aid$105K aid approved
  4. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding23 households applied for aid$29K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MalcolmWashington County only

Washington County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Washington County, 1999–1999.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Malcolm archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Malcolm 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 ↗
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 Malcolm

Is Malcolm 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 Washington County, 3% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Malcolm?

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

By FEMA money that reached Malcolm, Hurricane Ivan (2004): 77 households applied for aid, $105K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Malcolm.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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