Natural hazards · Watson

Watson, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Watson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2001. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Watson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Watson to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding39%Earthquakes22%Drought12%Tornadoes10%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Watson 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

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Drought

12% of expected damage

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Watson flood?

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

2paid claims since 2001

$124Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20012026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $122K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Watson 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

4storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Watson

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WatsonDeclared for Desha County only

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

19 households applied for aid $73K aid approved

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. Watson 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 Watson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Watson. 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.