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Natural hazards · Beckley

Beckley, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Beckley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1980. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Beckley?

5
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Beckley to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Earthquakes11%Cold waves7%Strong wind5%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Beckley faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Beckley flood?

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

26paid claims since 1980
$336Kpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19802026

Biggest named events

  • Heavy rains: 1 claim, $1K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Beckley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Raleigh County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Beckley

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BeckleyDeclared for Raleigh County only
2025

Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

47 households applied for aid $164K aid approved
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

265 households applied for aid $103K aid approved $84K to the City of Beckley for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

134 households applied for aid $195K aid approved
2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$39K to the City of Beckley for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

38 households applied for aid $28K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

148 households applied for aid $192K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

94 households applied for aid $158K aid approved
2003

Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides

54 households applied for aid $42K aid approved
2001

Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

$14K to the City of Beckley for repairs
Raleigh County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Beckley

Beckley and the towns around it

Mabscott: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMacArthur: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRaleigh: Very low, mostly inland floodingCrab Orchard: Low, mostly inland floodingBeckley: Very low, mostly inland flooding BeckleyMabscottMacArthurRaleigh
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Mabscottmostly inland floodingModerate
MacArthurmostly inland floodingModerate
Beckleymostly inland floodingVery low
Raleighmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Beckley covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Beckley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Beckley. 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 Beckley total about $3.1M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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