Natural hazards · Pottsville

Pottsville, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pottsville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2012. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pottsville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pottsville to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding35%Tornadoes31%Earthquakes8%Heat waves6%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Pottsville faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

31% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 72 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 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 Pottsville flood?

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

1paid claims since 2012

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20122026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pope County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Pottsville

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PottsvilleDeclared for Pope County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$3K to the City of Pottsville for repairs

Pope County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Pottsville covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Pottsville total about $786K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.