FEMA puts Pine Ridge’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 94% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pine Ridge gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (66%), then river and rain flooding (32%). Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1995.
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 Pine Ridge 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
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 Pine Ridge’s grade
Hurricanes are 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Pine Ridge, and Pine Ridge’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 32% (higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts).
D higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Pine Ridge’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.4M a year in losses across Pine Ridge: $3.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Pine Ridge flood? Sometimes: 15 flood claims since 1995
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pine Ridge, from FEMA’s records: 12.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irma10 claims · $413K
- Hurricane Opal1 claim · $1K
Pine Ridge isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Collier County.The storms Pine Ridge remembers
None of the 36 disasters declared for Collier County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Pine Ridge itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201710 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irma, declared for Collier County
- 19954 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Opal, declared for Collier County
- 20011 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding Associated with Tropical Storm Gabrielle, declared for Collier County
Collier County has had 36 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 7 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Collier County, 1999–2020.
Old photos of Pine Ridge after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pine Ridge archive →Pine Ridge and its neighbors
Pine Ridge is 2nd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican Bay | Dmore damage than 94% | hurricanes | 322 |
| Pine Ridge | Dmore damage than 94% | hurricanes | 15 |
| Pelican Marsh | Dmore damage than 95% | hurricanes | — |
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 Pine Ridge 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.
- 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 Pine Ridge
Is Pine Ridge at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pine Ridge has higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (66%) and river and rain flooding (32%). 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 Pine Ridge flood?
Flood insurance has paid 15 claims in Pine Ridge since 1995, $429K in all, or 12.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (10).
Is Pine Ridge 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 Collier County, 29.6% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Pine Ridge?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pine Ridge’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 Pine Ridge?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 10 paid, $413K.
Is Pine Ridge at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Pine Ridge’s rate for it is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pine Ridge.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pine Ridge’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.