Glover School · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Willow Oak’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 80% of U.S. towns, led by hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Willow Oak gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, #325 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (42%), then river and rain flooding (40%). Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1997.
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 Willow Oak 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
Strong wind
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 Willow Oak’s grade
Hurricanes are 42% of the building damage FEMA expects in Willow Oak, and Willow Oak’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 11%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #325 of 638 in Florida; higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Willow Oak’s residents live in 3 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, Willow Oak has more expected damage per building than 51% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Willow Oak: $827K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Willow Oak flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 1997
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Willow Oak, from FEMA’s records: 3.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 51% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Milton3 claims · $259K
- Hurricane Irma2 claims · $103K
- Hurricane Georges (Panhandle)1 claim · $6K
Willow Oak isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Polk County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Willow Oak
Disasters that paid out in Willow Oak itself (aid to households or repair grants to Willow Oak), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Hurricane Irma1 households applied for aid$342 aid approved2 flood claims paid for it, $103K
Polk County has had 27 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 5 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Polk County, 1999–2017.
Old photos of Willow Oak after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Willow Oak archive →Willow Oak and its neighbors
Willow Oak is 4th of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulberry | Cmore damage than 74% | hurricanes | 2 |
| Fuller Heights | C−more damage than 77% | hurricanes | 2 |
| Medulla | C−more damage than 78% | hurricanes | 30 |
| Willow Oak | C−more damage than 80% | hurricanes | 8 |
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 Willow Oak 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Willow Oak
Is Willow Oak at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Willow Oak has higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #325 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (42%) and river and rain flooding (40%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Willow Oak flood?
Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in Willow Oak since 1997, $374K in all, or 3.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 51% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Milton (3).
Is Willow Oak 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 Polk County, 37% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Willow Oak?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Willow Oak’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 Willow Oak?
By FEMA money that reached Willow Oak, Hurricane Irma (2017): 1 households applied for aid, $342 approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Milton: 3 paid, $259K.
Is Willow Oak at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (42%), and Willow Oak’s rate for it is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Willow Oak.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Willow Oak’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.