Mead’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mead comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Mead’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Mead
Disasters that paid out in Mead itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Township of Mead) and its biggest flood years.
- 2019Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides$515K to the Township of Mead for repairs
- 2018Severe Storms, Landslides, and Mudslides$2.8M to the Township of Mead for repairs
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$180K to the Township of Mead for repairs
- 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$169K to the Township of Mead for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding$345K to the Township of Mead for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides$283K to the Township of Mead for repairs
Show all 7
- 2003Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow$40K to the Township of Mead for repairs
Belmont County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Old photos of Mead after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Mead archive →How exposed is Mead?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 2,481 of the 2,573 Ohio towns we cover.
Mead covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Mead faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Does Mead flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Mead, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan2 claims · $6K
Mead isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Belmont County.Get ready for what Mead actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Mead and its neighbors
Mead ranks 4th calmest of 9 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| York | Very high | inland flooding | 0 |
| Glen Dale | Very high | inland flooding | 39 |
| Washington | Very high | inland flooding | 0 |
| Mead | High | inland flooding | 8 |
| Shadyside | High | inland flooding | 7 |
| Pultney | High | inland flooding | 99 |
| Moundsville | High | inland flooding | 77 |
| Smith | High | inland flooding | 9 |
| Richland | Very low | inland flooding | 8 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Disasters here can come any time of year
The month each of Belmont County’s 18 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Mead’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Mead.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Mead, expected losses total about $1.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mead.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.