Photo: Greg Tally - User: (WT-shared) WineCountryInn at wts wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Jackson faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, led by river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jackson gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns, #18 of 28 in Wyoming. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (45%), then earthquakes (42%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2017.
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
What Jackson 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
Earthquakes
Wildfire
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.
What’s behind Jackson’s grade
River and rain flooding is 45% of the building damage FEMA expects in Jackson, and Jackson’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 10%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #18 of 28 in Wyoming; lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Jackson’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Wyoming town has lower expected damage than 55% of U.S. towns; within the state, Jackson has more expected damage per building than 63% of Wyoming towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $74.2M a year in losses across Jackson: $3.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Jackson flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2017
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Jackson, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Jackson isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Teton County.The storms Jackson remembers
None of the 2 disasters declared for Teton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Jackson itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20171 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm and Straight-line Winds, declared for Teton County
Teton County has had 2 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Teton County, 2001–2001.
Old photos of Jackson after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Jackson archive →Jackson and its neighbors
Jackson has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| South Park | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Jackson 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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 Jackson
Is Jackson at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jackson has lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #18 of 28 in Wyoming. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (45%) and earthquakes (42%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Jackson flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Jackson since 2017, $7K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Jackson 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 Teton County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 3.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Jackson?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Jackson’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Jackson at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (45%), and Jackson’s rate for it is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Jackson.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Jackson’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.