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CedarvaleCedarvale · Photo: National Park Service · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Fort Smith · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Fort Smith

Fort Smith isn’t graded for hazard risk: Fort Smith has 78 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 5 declared for Big Horn County
By hazard

What Fort Smith 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

76%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Wildfire

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Earthquakes Tornadoes Landslides top 2% Strong wind Cold waves Lightning Winter storms Ice storms Heat waves Avalanches top 0% Volcanic activity
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 16% of Fort Smith’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.1%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Fort Smith flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Big Horn County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Fort Smith

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

  1. 2011Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
  2. 19 households applied for aid$286K aid approved
  3. 15 households applied for aid$67K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Fort SmithBig Horn County only

Big Horn County has had 5 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Big Horn County, 2021–2021.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Fort Smith archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Fort Smith faces

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

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 ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
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 Fort Smith

Is Fort Smith 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 Big Horn County, 0.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Fort Smith?

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

By FEMA money that reached Fort Smith, (): 19 households applied for aid, $286K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fort Smith.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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