Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Moon Lake’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Moon Lake gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, #260 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%), then hurricanes (41%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1985.
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 Moon Lake 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
Hurricanes
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 Moon Lake’s grade
River and rain flooding is 50% of the building damage FEMA expects in Moon Lake, and Moon Lake’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 58% of U.S. census tracts. Hurricanes add 41%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #260 of 638 in Florida; higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Moon Lake’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Florida town has higher expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Moon Lake has less expected damage per building than 59% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $971K a year in losses across Moon Lake: $724K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Moon Lake flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Moon Lake, from FEMA’s records: 3.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 52% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Hermine2 claims · $14K
- Hurricane Irma1 claim · $2K
- Hurricane Elena1 claim · $4K
Moon Lake isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Pasco County.The storms Moon Lake remembers
None of the 33 disasters declared for Pasco County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Moon Lake itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20162 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Hermine, declared for Pasco County
- 19851 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Freeze, declared for Pasco County
- 19871 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Pasco County has had 33 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Pasco County, 2000–2000.
Old photos of Moon Lake after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Moon Lake archive →Moon Lake and its neighbors
Moon Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Ridge | C+more damage than 64% | hurricanes | 6 |
| Moon Lake | C−more damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
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 Moon Lake 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.
- 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.
- 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 Moon Lake
Is Moon Lake at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Moon Lake has higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #260 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%) and hurricanes (41%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Moon Lake flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Moon Lake since 1985, $32K in all, or 3.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 52% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Hermine (2).
Is Moon Lake 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 Pasco County, 47% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 10.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Moon Lake?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Moon Lake’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 Moon Lake?
By flood claims, Hurricane Hermine: 2 paid, $14K.
Is Moon Lake at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (50%), and Moon Lake’s rate for it is higher than 58% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Moon Lake.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Moon Lake’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.