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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Midland · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Midland

Midland isn’t graded for hazard risk: Midland has 262 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 16 declared for Sebastian County
By hazard

What Midland 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

81%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Wildfire

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts

Ice storms

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Winter storms top 3% Hail Hurricanes Strong wind Lightning 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 heat waves at 11% of Midland’s expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Midland flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

Insurance rates: Sebastian County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
2storm safe rooms built
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Midland

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

  1. 2013Severe Winter Storm$26K to the Town of Midland for repairs
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
  3. 2000Severe Winter Ice Storm$3K to the Town of Midland for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MidlandSebastian County only

Sebastian County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Midland archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Midland 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 ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Ice storms
  • Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
  • Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
  • Keep sand or salt by the door.
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 Midland

Is Midland 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 Sebastian County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Midland?

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

By FEMA money that reached Midland, Severe Winter Storm (2013): $26K to the Town of Midland for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Midland.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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