Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Shalimar
Shalimar isn’t graded for hazard risk: Shalimar has 885 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 156 claims here since 1995.
What Shalimar 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.
Does Shalimar flood? Yes: 156 flood claims since 1995
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Shalimar, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Opal75 claims · $1.4M
- Hurricane Ivan69 claims · $2.2M
- Hurricane Sally2 claims · $11K
Shalimar is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Okaloosa County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Shalimar
Disasters that paid out in Shalimar itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Shalimar), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Hurricane Sally56 households applied for aid$25K aid approved2 flood claims paid for it, $11K
- 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding68 households applied for aid$139K aid approved$3K to the Town of Shalimar for repairs
- 2005Hurricane Dennis248 households applied for aid$123K aid approved$26K to the Town of Shalimar for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
- 2004Hurricane Ivan820 households applied for aid$583K aid approved$38K to the Town of Shalimar for repairs69 flood claims paid for it, $2.2M
Okaloosa County has had 32 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.
Old photos of Shalimar after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Shalimar archive →Shalimar and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Lorraine | Dmore damage than 90% | hurricanes | 339 |
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 Shalimar 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.
- Shalimar residents get 10% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Shalimar
Does Shalimar flood?
Flood insurance has paid 156 claims in Shalimar since 1995, $4.1M in all. 42 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Opal (75).
Is Shalimar 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 Okaloosa County, 74% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 10.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Shalimar?
Shalimar is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8), which takes 10% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Shalimar?
By FEMA money that reached Shalimar, Hurricane Ivan (2004): 820 households applied for aid, $583K approved, and $38K to the Town of Shalimar for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Opal: 75 paid, $1.4M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Shalimar.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Shalimar’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.