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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Southport · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Southport

Southport isn’t graded for hazard risk: Southport has 873 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 36 declared for Bay County
By hazard

What Southport faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

80%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

River and rain flooding

12%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 85% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Coastal flooding top 2% Tornadoes Wildfire Strong wind Earthquakes Lightning Hail Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Ice stormsAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Southport flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Southport. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Southport isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Bay County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Southport

Disasters that paid out in Southport itself (aid to households or repair grants to Southport), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2020Hurricane Sally6 households applied for aid$26K aid approved
  2. 2018Hurricane Michael477 households applied for aid$879K aid approved
  3. 2005Hurricane Dennis15 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
  4. 2004Hurricane Ivan54 households applied for aid$134K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SouthportBay County only

Bay 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 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Bay County, 1999–2022.

Were you here?

Old photos of Southport after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Southport archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Southport faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Southport

Is Southport 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 Bay County, 67% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 17.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Southport?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Southport’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 Southport?

By FEMA money that reached Southport, Hurricane Michael (2018): 477 households applied for aid, $879K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Southport.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Southport’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.