Natural hazards · McGehee

McGehee, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in McGehee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 98 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is McGehee?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in McGehee to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding34%Earthquakes23%Tornadoes16%Heat waves8%Everything else19%

By hazard

What McGehee faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 20 years in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 20 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 McGehee flood?

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

98paid claims since 1979

$1.7Mpaid to owners

21homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late winter severe storms: 19 claims, $446K
Central U.S. April Flooding: 12 claims, $697K
Early winter storms: 3 claims, $48K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Desha County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit McGehee

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into McGeheeDeclared for Desha County only

2025

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

2016

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$59K to the City of McGehee for repairs

Desha County has had 16 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. McGehee 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 McGehee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of McGehee. 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.