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Mosses, Alabama (Ala. Williams Store)Photo: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Mosses · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Mosses

Mosses isn’t graded for hazard risk: Mosses has 836 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 17 declared for Lowndes County
By hazard

What Mosses 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

70%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Strong wind

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Hurricanes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hail Wildfire Ice storms Lightning Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts tornadoes at 28% of Mosses’ expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (7.6%), 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 Mosses flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Mosses. 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

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

Insurance rates: Lowndes County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Mosses

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

  1. 2004Hurricane Ivan$33K to the Town of Mosses for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MossesLowndes County only

Lowndes County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Mosses archive →
Next door

Mosses and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Gordonville: not gradedGordonvilleMosses
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Gordonville—275 residents; we grade 1,000+

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 Mosses 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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
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 Mosses

Is Mosses 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 Lowndes County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Mosses?

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

By FEMA money that reached Mosses, Hurricane Ivan (2004): $33K to the Town of Mosses for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mosses.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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