Photo: DwayneP · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Steele’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 72% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Steele gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (76%), then tornadoes (18%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Steele 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
Tornadoes
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 Steele’s grade
River and rain flooding is 76% of the building damage FEMA expects in Steele, and Steele’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 18%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
C higher expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Steele’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $393K a year in losses across Steele: $257K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Steele flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Steele. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Steele isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Clair County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Steele
Disasters that paid out in Steele itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Steele), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$22K aid approved
- 2004Hurricane Ivan2 households applied for aid$821 aid approved
St. Clair County has had 27 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.
Old photos of Steele after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Steele archive →Steele and its neighbors
Steele has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steele | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Rainbow City | Cmore damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 19 |
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 Steele faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Steele
Is Steele at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Steele has higher expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (76%) and tornadoes (18%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Steele 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 St. Clair County, 39% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Steele?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Steele’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 Steele?
By FEMA money that reached Steele, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2011): 4 households applied for aid, $22K approved.
Is Steele at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (76%), and Steele’s rate for it is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Steele.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Steele’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.