Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Gallatin

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Gallatin Tennessee Town SquarePhoto: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0
C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Gallatin · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Gallatin faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gallatin gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns, #100 of 177 in Tennessee. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then earthquakes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 96 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 68%Earthquakes 14%Tornadoes 11%

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

more than 57%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#100 of 177 in Tennessee
Hazard risk
C+#100 of 177
in Tennessee · higher than 57% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
68% of expected building damage
Flood claims
96
paid since 1978 · $3.5M
Flooded more than once
13
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
10
of 18 declared for Sumner County

What stands out about Gallatin’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Moved out of harm’s way23 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.Remembers 201064 flood claims were paid for 2010 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Gallatin 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

68%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Ice storms Strong wind Winter storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 12% of Gallatin’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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Gallatin’s grade

River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in Gallatin, and Gallatin’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 14% (higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Gallatin sits
Gallatin
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ #100 of 177 in Tennessee; higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Gallatin’s residents live in 14 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding68%Earthquakes14%Tornadoes11%Everything else7%

The typical Tennessee town has higher expected damage than 53% of U.S. towns; within the state, Gallatin has more expected damage per building than 56% of Tennessee towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $19.6M a year in losses across Gallatin: $12.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A firm figure. It combines 14 census tracts by where Gallatin’s residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Gallatin flood? Sometimes: 96 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gallatin, from FEMA’s records: 4.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 58% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 1 claim1979: 0 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 2 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 1 claim1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 1 claim2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 5 claims2007: 1 claim2008: 0 claims2009: 2 claims2010: 64 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 7 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 2 claims2020: 1 claim2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 8 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims201020162024
19782026
Biggest named events
  • The Late spring storms57 claims · $2.4M
96
paid claims since 1978
$3.5M
paid to owners
13
homes flooded more than once
$36K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Sumner County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
23flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Gallatin

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm259 households applied for aid$408K aid approved$628K to the City of Gallatin for repairs
  2. 2024Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$154K to the City of Gallatin for repairs8 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2023Severe Storms and Tornadoes201 households applied for aid$105K aid approved$177K to the City of Gallatin for repairs
  4. 2021Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes29 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
  5. 2011Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds$124K to the City of Gallatin for repairs
  6. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes703 households applied for aid$1.8M aid approved$184K to the City of Gallatin for repairs64 flood claims paid that year
Show all 10
  1. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding20 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
  2. 2006Severe Storms and Tornadoes291 households applied for aid$122K aid approved$644K to the City of Gallatin for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding28 households applied for aid$9K aid approved$96K to the City of Gallatin for repairs
  4. 1999Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$10K to the City of Gallatin for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in GallatinSumner County only

Sumner County has had 18 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Gallatin archive →
Next door

Gallatin and its neighbors

Gallatin has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Hendersonville: hazard risk C−HendersonvilleGallatin
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
GallatinC+more damage than 57%river and rain flooding96
HendersonvilleC−more damage than 79%river and rain flooding213

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Gallatin 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 ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
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 Gallatin

Is Gallatin at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gallatin has higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #100 of 177 in Tennessee. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and earthquakes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Gallatin flood?

Flood insurance has paid 96 claims in Gallatin since 1978, $3.5M in all, or 4.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 13 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Late spring storms (57).

Is Gallatin 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 Sumner County, 35% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Gallatin?

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

By FEMA money that reached Gallatin, Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes (2010): 703 households applied for aid, $1.8M approved, and $184K to the City of Gallatin for repairs. By flood claims, Late spring storms: 57 paid, $2.4M.

Is Gallatin at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and Gallatin’s rate for it is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gallatin.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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