Photo: Runner1928 · CC BY-SA 3.0For tornadoes, Sherburn’s building-damage rate is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sherburn gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 59% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%), then tornadoes (20%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Sherburn faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
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 Sherburn’s grade
River and rain flooding is 64% of the building damage FEMA expects in Sherburn, and Sherburn’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 20%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
B lower expected damage per building than 59% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Sherburn’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $951K a year in losses across Sherburn: $481K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Sherburn flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Sherburn. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Sherburn
Disasters that paid out in Sherburn itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Sherburn), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$300 aid approved
Martin County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Sherburn after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Sherburn archive →Sherburn and its neighbors
Sherburn has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherburn | Bless damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Manyaska Township | — | 334 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Jay Township | — | 275 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Sherburn faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Sherburn
Is Sherburn at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sherburn has lower expected damage per building than 59% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%) and tornadoes (20%). 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.
Is Sherburn 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.
How much is flood insurance in Sherburn?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sherburn’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 Sherburn?
By FEMA money that reached Sherburn, Severe Storms and Flooding (2024): 4 households applied for aid, $300 approved.
Is Sherburn at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (64%), and Sherburn’s rate for it is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sherburn.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sherburn’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.