More hazard damage per building is expected in North Weeki Wachee than in 80% of U.S. towns, led by hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Weeki Wachee gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, #329 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (45%), then river and rain flooding (40%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim 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 North Weeki Wachee faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Coastal 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 North Weeki Wachee’s grade
Hurricanes are 45% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Weeki Wachee, and North Weeki Wachee’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 8%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #329 of 638 in Florida; higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
North Weeki Wachee’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Florida town has higher expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, North Weeki Wachee has more expected damage per building than 51% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.3M a year in losses across North Weeki Wachee: $2.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Weeki Wachee flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Weeki Wachee, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Elena1 claim · $8K
North Weeki Wachee isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hernando County.The storms North Weeki Wachee remembers
None of the 29 disasters declared for Hernando County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Weeki Wachee itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19851 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Hernando County has had 29 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 Hernando County, 2000–2000.
Old photos of North Weeki Wachee after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Weeki Wachee archive →North Weeki Wachee and its neighbors
North Weeki Wachee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point | Cmore damage than 68% | hurricanes | — |
| North Weeki Wachee | C−more damage than 80% | hurricanes | 1 |
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 North Weeki Wachee faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- 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 North Weeki Wachee
Is North Weeki Wachee at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Weeki Wachee has higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #329 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (45%) and river and rain flooding (40%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does North Weeki Wachee flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in North Weeki Wachee since 1985, $8K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Elena (1).
Is North Weeki Wachee 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 Hernando County, 54% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 4.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in North Weeki Wachee?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Weeki Wachee’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 North Weeki Wachee?
By flood claims, Hurricane Elena: 1 paid, $8K.
Is North Weeki Wachee at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (45%), and North Weeki Wachee’s rate for it is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Weeki Wachee.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Weeki Wachee’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.