Aggergaard Manor · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Storms, floods and disasters in Irene
Irene isn’t graded for hazard risk: Irene has 456 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Irene 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
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.
Does Irene flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Irene. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Irene isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Turner County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Irene
Disasters that paid out in Irene itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Irene), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding7 households applied for aid$23K aid approved
Turner County has had 23 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.
Old photos of Irene after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Irene archive →Irene and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Valley Township | — | 127 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Daneville Township | — | 207 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Star Township | — | 98 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Marindahl Township | — | 151 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 Irene 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.
- 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 Irene
Is Irene 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 Turner County, 0.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Irene?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Irene’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 Irene?
By FEMA money that reached Irene, Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding (2019): 7 households applied for aid, $23K approved.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Irene.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Irene’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.