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Obion-TN183-tnPhoto: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Obion · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Obion

Obion isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Obion yet. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1984.

Flood claims
26
paid since 1984 · $359K
Flooded more than once
3
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
4
of 16 declared for Obion County
By hazard

What Obion faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

64%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

20%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 80% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 15 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms top 3% Strong wind Hail Winter storms top 2% Hurricanes Lightning 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 15% of Obion’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 Obion flood? Sometimes: 26 flood claims since 1984

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1984: 1 claim1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 2 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 14 claims1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 2 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 2 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 1 claim2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 2 claims2026: 0 claims199019972001
19842026
Biggest named events
  • The Late spring storms2 claims · $34K
  • The Central U.S. April Flooding1 claim · $16K
  • The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $9K
26
paid claims since 1984
$359K
paid to owners
3
homes flooded more than once
$14K
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

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

Insurance rates: Obion County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
24flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
2buildings floodproofed
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Obion

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

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding24 households applied for aid$326K aid approved$37K to the Town of Obion for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2011Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding22 households applied for aid$13K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  3. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes10 households applied for aid$11K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
  4. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding5 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ObionObion County only

Obion County has had 16 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 Obion after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Obion archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Obion faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Obion

Does Obion flood?

Flood insurance has paid 26 claims in Obion since 1984, $359K in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Late spring storms (2).

Is Obion 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 Obion County, 22% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Obion?

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

By FEMA money that reached Obion, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2025): 24 households applied for aid, $326K approved, and $37K to the Town of Obion for repairs. By flood claims, Late spring storms: 2 paid, $34K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Obion.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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