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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Summertown · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Summertown

Summertown isn’t graded for hazard risk: Summertown has 733 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 21 declared for Lawrence County
By hazard

What Summertown 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

59%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Earthquakes

15%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hurricanes Hail Ice storms Lightning Cold waves Wildfire Winter storms 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 21% of Summertown’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.1%), 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 Summertown flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Summertown. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Lawrence County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Summertown

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm16 households applied for aid$34K aid approved
  2. 2023Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes3 households applied for aid$9K aid approved
  3. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes56 households applied for aid$95K aid approved
  4. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding14 households applied for aid$13K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SummertownLawrence County only

Lawrence 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 Summertown after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Summertown archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Summertown 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Summertown

Is Summertown 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 Lawrence County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Summertown?

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

By FEMA money that reached Summertown, Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes (2010): 56 households applied for aid, $95K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Summertown.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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