Natural hazards · Whetstone

Whetstone, AZ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Whetstone comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Whetstone?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Whetstone to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and wildfires.

Inland flooding41%Wildfire33%Heat waves23%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Whetstone faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Wildfire

33% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailWinter weatherEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Whetstone flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cochise County.

Disasters that hit Whetstone

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Cochise County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Whetstone itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into WhetstoneDeclared for Cochise County only

Cochise County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Whetstone

Whetstone and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whetstonemostly inland floodingVery high

Huachuca Citymostly inland floodingVery high

Sierra Vistamostly heat wavesModerate

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. Whetstone covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Whetstone’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Whetstone. 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 Whetstone total about $2.0M 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.