Natural hazards · Belle

Belle, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Belle comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1996. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Belle?

98
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Belle to be higher than in 98% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding94%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Belle faces

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

Inland flooding

94% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

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 Belle flood?

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

8paid claims since 1996
$103Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19962026

Biggest named events

  • Summer severe storms: 1 claim, $15K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Belle isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kanawha County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Belle

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BelleDeclared for Kanawha County only
2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

20 households applied for aid $75K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

41 households applied for aid $315K aid approved
2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid
2016

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

25 households applied for aid $38K aid approved
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

24 households applied for aid $21K aid approved
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

7 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

43 households applied for aid $169K aid approved
2003

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

4 households applied for aid $16K aid approved
Kanawha County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
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. Belle 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 Belle’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Belle. 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.

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