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Baker County, Florida

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very Low overall risk
65th of 67highest risk in Florida
$6Mexpected losses a year
38federal declarations
1 in 67homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Baker County, Florida has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 87% of US counties. It ranks 65th of 67 counties in Florida. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $6.3 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $226 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 38 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (22 major disasters). The most recent was in October 2026 (Hurricane Isaias). About 1 in 67 homes here carry federal flood insurance (146 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $2.9 million on 95 claims here, including $938,000 for floods in 2012.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Baker County

$3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
$1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 years.
  • Know your evacuation zone and route before June 1.
  • Ask about roof age, shutters and the separate wind or hurricane deductible on your home policy.
$625,872 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery Low22.7
$3M
HurricaneLow74.5
$1M
TornadoLow31.5
$626K
Heat waveLow57.4
$587K
WildfireLow76.2
$328K
LightningLow46.7
$234K
Cold waveVery Low17.2
$202K
EarthquakeVery Low36.0
$132K
Strong windVery Low8.0
$65K
HailVery Low8.8
$29K
Winter weatherVery Low2.8
$2K
DroughtVery Low16.6
$2K
LandslideVery Low3.1
$4

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively low and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Baker County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane17
Severe Storm9
Fire5
Tropical Storm4
Flood1
Tornado1

Most recent

Oct 9, 2026Hurricane IsaiasEmergency
Oct 11, 2024Hurricane MiltonMajor disaster
Oct 7, 2024Hurricane MiltonEmergency
Sep 28, 2024Hurricane HeleneMajor disaster
Aug 10, 2024Hurricane DebbyMajor disaster
Aug 3, 2024Tropical Storm DebbyEmergency
Jun 17, 2024Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Aug 31, 2023Hurricane IdaliaMajor disaster
Aug 28, 2023Tropical Storm IdaliaEmergency
Dec 13, 2022Hurricane NicoleMajor disaster
Show all 38
Sep 29, 2022Hurricane IanMajor disaster
Sep 24, 2022Tropical Storm IanEmergency
Jul 4, 2021Tropical Storm ElsaEmergency
Aug 30, 2019Hurricane DorianEmergency
Oct 9, 2018Hurricane MichaelEmergency
Sep 10, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Oct 6, 2016Hurricane MatthewEmergency
Sep 28, 2016Hurricane HermineMajor disaster
Jul 3, 2012Tropical Storm DebbyMajor disaster
May 27, 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Aug 24, 2008Tropical Storm FayMajor disaster
Aug 21, 2008Tropical Storm FayEmergency
May 7, 2007Suwannee Fire ComplexFire management
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 26, 2004Hurricane JeanneMajor disaster
Sep 4, 2004Hurricane FrancesMajor disaster
Aug 13, 2004Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane CharleyMajor disaster
Feb 5, 2001Severe FreezeMajor disaster
Jun 5, 2000Fl, Suwannee Fire ComplexFire management
Apr 27, 1999Fl-Fires 04/15/99Emergency
Apr 20, 1999Fl-Fires 04/13/99Fire management
Jun 18, 1998Extreme Fire HazardMajor disaster
Jan 6, 1998Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 15, 1996Tropical Storm JosephineMajor disaster
Mar 13, 1993Tornadoes, Flooding, High Winds & Tides, FreezingMajor disaster
Oct 8, 1992Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
May 26, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

Florida also had 39 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1961

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 260 storm reports in Baker County since 1961, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries and about $1.6 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on May 12, 1974.

12tornadoes
39hail reports, largest 2 inches
147damaging thunderstorm winds
18floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
May 12, 1974F2–1 / 0
Apr 15, 2007EF2Baxter0 / 0
May 16, 1983F1–0 / 0
Mar 16, 2025EF1Olustee0 / 0
Jan 3, 1994F0S of Macclenny0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Oct 7, 1996Flash FloodMacclenny$600K
Jun 25, 2012FloodTaylor$500K
May 12, 1974Tornado–$250K
Jan 3, 1994TornadoS of Macclenny$50K
Mar 9, 1976Tornado–$25K
May 16, 1983Tornado–$25K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Aug 2, 2025. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1867, 11 hurricanes and 62 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Baker County, 27 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1898, with top winds near 125 mph about 64 miles away.

11hurricanes
2major hurricanes (Category 3+)
62tropical storms
2024most recent: Debby

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Oct 2, 1898UnnamedCategory 3, 125 mph64 mi
Sep 29, 1896UnnamedCategory 3, 115 mph62 mi
Aug 30, 2023IdaliaCategory 2, 105 mph62 mi
Sep 10, 1964DoraCategory 2, 105 mph59 mi
Oct 11, 1888UnnamedCategory 2, 100 mph49 mi
Sep 5, 1935UnnamedCategory 1, 85 mph60 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 5, 2024DebbyTropical storm, 70 mph60 mi
Aug 30, 2023IdaliaCategory 2, 105 mph62 mi
Sep 9, 2021MindyTropical storm, 40 mph60 mi
Jul 7, 2021ElsaTropical storm, 50 mph60 mi
Nov 12, 2020EtaTropical storm, 50 mph65 mi
Sep 11, 2017IrmaTropical storm, 60 mph55 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Baker County

Check your address flood zone ›
1.5%of homes have federal flood insurance (146 policies)
20.9%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$2.9 millionpaid on 95 flood claims since 1978
2012costliest year, with $937,761 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Baker County

$256,700median home value (Florida $359,000, US $332,700)
1996median year homes were built (Florida 1988, US 1980)
28%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
30.5%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 10,148 housing units.

Compare in Florida

All 67 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Miami-Dade CountyVery HighInland flooding
Broward CountyHighInland flooding
Palm Beach CountyHighHurricane
Hillsborough CountyHighHurricane
Orange CountyHighInland flooding
Duval CountyHighInland flooding
Pinellas CountyHighHurricane
Lee CountyHighHurricane

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Duval CountyHigh39
Clay CountyModerate37
Nassau CountyLow38
Columbia CountyLow35
Ware County, GALow22
Bradford CountyVery Low32
Union CountyVery Low32
Charlton County, GAVery Low19

Common questions about Baker County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Baker County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Baker County, about $3 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Hurricane is second at $1 million.

How many federal disasters has Baker County had?

Baker County has been included in 38 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 22 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Isaias in October 2026.

Is Baker County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 65th highest of 67 in Florida. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Baker County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 67 homes in Baker County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Baker County had?

NOAA records list 12 tornadoes in Baker County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on May 12, 1974. The weather service has also logged 39 hail reports and 18 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Baker County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 11 hurricanes and 62 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Baker County, including 2 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1898, with winds near 125 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.