FEMA puts Whiskey Creek’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 90% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Whiskey Creek gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns, #438 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (73%), then river and rain flooding (25%). Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1982.
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 Whiskey Creek 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 Whiskey Creek’s grade
Hurricanes are 73% of the building damage FEMA expects in Whiskey Creek, and Whiskey Creek’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 25% (lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts).
D #438 of 638 in Florida; higher expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Whiskey Creek’s residents live in 2 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, Whiskey Creek has more expected damage per building than 69% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.1M a year in losses across Whiskey Creek: $2.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Whiskey Creek flood? Sometimes: 18 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Whiskey Creek, from FEMA’s records: 6.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 65% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irma5 claims · $240K
- Hurricane Ian2 claims · $14K
- Hurricane Charley1 claim · $49K
Whiskey Creek isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lee County.The storms Whiskey Creek remembers
None of the 30 disasters declared for Lee County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Whiskey Creek itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20175 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irma, declared for Lee County
- 20053 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Wilma, declared for Lee County
- 20112 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Lee County has had 30 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 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Lee County, 1999–2017.
Old photos of Whiskey Creek after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Whiskey Creek archive →Whiskey Creek and its neighbors
Whiskey Creek is 4th of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGregor | Dmore damage than 89% | hurricanes | 692 |
| Pine Manor | Dmore damage than 89% | hurricanes | — |
| Fort Myers | Dmore damage than 89% | hurricanes | 711 |
| Whiskey Creek | Dmore damage than 90% | hurricanes | 18 |
| Cypress Lake | Dmore damage than 90% | hurricanes | 131 |
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 Whiskey Creek 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 Whiskey Creek
Is Whiskey Creek at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Whiskey Creek has higher expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #438 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (73%) and river and rain flooding (25%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Whiskey Creek flood?
Flood insurance has paid 18 claims in Whiskey Creek since 1982, $372K in all, or 6.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 65% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (5).
Is Whiskey Creek 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 Lee County, 47% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 24.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Whiskey Creek?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Whiskey Creek’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 Whiskey Creek?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 5 paid, $240K.
Is Whiskey Creek at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (73%), and Whiskey Creek’s rate for it is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Whiskey Creek.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Whiskey Creek’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.