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Bank of French BroadBank of French Broad · Photo: Warren LeMay from Covington, KY, United States · CC0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Marshall · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Marshall

Marshall isn’t graded for hazard risk: Marshall has 961 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 53 claims here since 1978.

Flood claims
53
paid since 1978 · $5.9M
Flooded more than once
4
properties
Disasters paid out here
5
of 18 declared for Madison County
By hazard

What Marshall 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

83%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Ice storms Wildfire Landslides top 1% Strong wind Hurricanes Hail Lightning Winter storms Cold waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 12% of Marshall’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Marshall flood? Sometimes: 53 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Marshall, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 2 claims1979: 3 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 2 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 1 claim1990: 4 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 2 claims1995: 3 claims1996: 3 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 11 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 1 claim2023: 0 claims2024: 20 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199020042024
19782026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Helene20 claims · $5.4M
  • Tropical Storm Ivan11 claims · $342K
53
paid claims since 1978
$5.9M
paid to owners
4
homes flooded more than once
$111K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Madison County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
13flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Marshall

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

  1. 2024Tropical Storm Helene2,342 households applied for aid$4.0M aid approved$11.1M to the Town of Marshall for repairs20 flood claims paid for it, $5.4M
  2. 2021Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred5 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
  3. 2009Severe Winter Storms and Flooding$18K to the Town of Marshall for repairs
  4. 2004Hurricane Ivan122 households applied for aid$299K aid approved$105K to the Town of Marshall for repairs11 flood claims paid for it, $342K
  5. 2004Tropical Storm Frances19 households applied for aid$61K aid approved$2K to the Town of Marshall for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MarshallMadison County only

Madison County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Marshall archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Marshall 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 ↗
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 Marshall

Does Marshall flood?

Flood insurance has paid 53 claims in Marshall since 1978, $5.9M in all. 4 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Helene (20).

Is Marshall 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 Madison County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.0% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Marshall?

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

By FEMA money that reached Marshall, Tropical Storm Helene (2024): 2,342 households applied for aid, $4.0M approved, and $11.1M to the Town of Marshall for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Helene: 20 paid, $5.4M.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Marshall.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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