Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Eagar’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 87% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eagar gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns, #99 of 140 in Arizona. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (53%), then river and rain flooding (46%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1997.
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 Eagar’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Eagar faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
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 Eagar’s grade
Wildfire is 53% of the building damage FEMA expects in Eagar, and Eagar’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 46% (higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts).
D #99 of 140 in Arizona; higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Eagar’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Arizona town has higher expected damage than 78% of U.S. towns; within the state, Eagar has more expected damage per building than 71% of Arizona towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.6M a year in losses across Eagar: $2.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Eagar flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1997
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Eagar, from FEMA’s records: 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Eagar isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Apache County.The storms Eagar remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Apache County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Eagar itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19971 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19991 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Apache County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Apache County, 2004–2025.
Old photos of Eagar after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Eagar archive →Eagar and its neighbors
Eagar is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springerville | C−more damage than 85% | wildfire | — |
| Eagar | Dmore damage than 87% | wildfire | 2 |
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 Eagar faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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 Eagar
Is Eagar at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eagar has higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #99 of 140 in Arizona. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (53%) and river and rain flooding (46%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Eagar flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Eagar since 1997, $3K in all, or 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Eagar 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 Apache County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Eagar?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Eagar’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Eagar at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (53%), and Eagar’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Eagar.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Eagar’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.