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Lake Garner - Lighthouse LanePhoto: Ben Evans · Public domain
B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Lakeland · FEMA

Lakeland’s building-damage rate from tornadoes is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lakeland gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns, #86 of 177 in Tennessee. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (56%), then earthquakes (25%). Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2009.

River and rain flooding 56%Earthquakes 25%Tornadoes 18%

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 51%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#86 of 177 in Tennessee
Hazard risk
B−#86 of 177
in Tennessee · higher than 51% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
56% of expected building damage
Flood claims
9
paid since 2009 · $428K
Flooded more than once
3
properties
Disasters paid out here
9
of 21 declared for Shelby County
By hazard

What Lakeland 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

56%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

25%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Ice storms Hurricanes Wildfire Landslides top 4% Lightning Hail Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves
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 15% of Lakeland’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 Lakeland’s grade

River and rain flooding is 56% of the building damage FEMA expects in Lakeland, and Lakeland’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 18%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Lakeland sits
Lakeland
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− #86 of 177 in Tennessee; higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Lakeland’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding56%Earthquakes25%Tornadoes18%Everything else1%

The typical Tennessee town has higher expected damage than 53% of U.S. towns; within the state, Lakeland has less expected damage per building than 52% of Tennessee towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.2M a year in losses across Lakeland: $3.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Lakeland covers 2 census tracts, combined by where 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 Lakeland flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 2009

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lakeland, from FEMA’s records: 1.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 67% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2009: 1 claim2010: 1 claim2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 4 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 2 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims200920142019
20092026
Biggest named events
  • The Late spring storms1 claim · $40K
  • The Central U.S. April Flooding1 claim · $107K
9
paid claims since 2009
$428K
paid to owners
3
homes flooded more than once
$48K
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

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

Insurance rates: Shelby County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
1flood-prone property bought out and cleared
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lakeland

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm18 households applied for aid$18K aid approved$139K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
  2. 2023Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds$455K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
  3. 2022Severe Winter Storm$139K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
  4. 2017Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$8K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
  5. 2014Severe Winter Storm$17K to the City of Lakeland for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
  6. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes24 households applied for aid$131K aid approved$7K to the City of Lakeland for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Show all 9
  1. 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$50K to the City of Lakeland for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$2K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
  3. 2003Severe Storms, High Winds, and Heavy Rain24 households applied for aid$4K aid approved$103K to the City of Lakeland for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in LakelandShelby County only

Shelby County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe 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 Lakeland after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Lakeland archive →
Next door

Lakeland and its neighbors

Lakeland has the lowest expected damage per building of the 4 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Bartlett: hazard risk B−Arlington: hazard risk B−Memphis: hazard risk CBartlettArlingtonMemphisLakeland
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
LakelandB−more damage than 51%river and rain flooding9
ArlingtonB−more damage than 52%river and rain flooding9
BartlettB−more damage than 53%river and rain flooding64
MemphisCmore damage than 75%earthquakes345

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 Lakeland 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 Lakeland

Is Lakeland at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lakeland has higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #86 of 177 in Tennessee. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (56%) and earthquakes (25%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Lakeland flood?

Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Lakeland since 2009, $428K in all, or 1.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 67% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Late spring storms (1).

Is Lakeland 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 Shelby County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Lakeland?

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

By FEMA money that reached Lakeland, Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds (2023): $455K to the City of Lakeland for repairs. By flood claims, Late spring storms: 1 paid, $40K.

Is Lakeland at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (56%), and Lakeland’s rate for it is lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lakeland.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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