FEMA puts St. Augustine South’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 75% of U.S. towns, led by hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Augustine South gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns, #2 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (41%), then river and rain flooding (39%). Flood insurance has paid 53 claims here since 1981.
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 stands out about St. Augustine South’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What St. Augustine South 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
Tornadoes
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 St. Augustine South’s grade
Hurricanes are 41% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Augustine South, and St. Augustine South’s rate of hurricanes damage is higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 10%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #2 of 638 in Florida; lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of St. Augustine South’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, St. Augustine South has less expected damage per building than 100% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across St. Augustine South: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Augustine South flood? Sometimes: 53 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Augustine South, from FEMA’s records: 21.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Matthew12 claims · $530K
- Hurricane Irma9 claims · $217K
- Hurricane Jeanne2 claims · $6K
St. Augustine South isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Johns County.The storms St. Augustine South remembers
None of the 22 disasters declared for St. Johns County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching St. Augustine South itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201613 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Matthew, declared for St. Johns County
- 20179 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irma, declared for St. Johns County
- 20034 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
St. Johns County has had 22 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 St. Augustine South after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Augustine South archive →St. Augustine South and its neighbors
St. Augustine South has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Augustine South | A−less damage than 75% | hurricanes | 53 |
| St. Augustine | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 2,333 |
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 St. Augustine South 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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 St. Augustine South
Is St. Augustine South at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Augustine South has lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #2 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (41%) and river and rain flooding (39%). 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 St. Augustine South flood?
Flood insurance has paid 53 claims in St. Augustine South since 1981, $1.1M in all, or 21.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Matthew (12).
Is St. Augustine South 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 St. Johns County, 23.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in St. Augustine South?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Augustine South’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 St. Augustine South?
By flood claims, Hurricane Matthew: 12 paid, $530K.
Is St. Augustine South at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (41%), and St. Augustine South’s rate for it is higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Augustine South.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Augustine South’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.