Natural hazards · Chidester

Chidester, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chidester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Chidester?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chidester to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding39%Tornadoes18%Strong wind10%Heat waves10%Ice storms7%Earthquakes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Chidester faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Chidester flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Chidester.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Chidester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Ouachita County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Chidester

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Chidester itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Chidester.

Brought FEMA money into ChidesterDeclared for Ouachita County only

2025

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$2K to the City of Chidester for repairs

Ouachita County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Chidester is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chidester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Chidester. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.