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Natural hazards · Big Sandy

Big Sandy, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Big Sandy comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Big Sandy?

94
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Big Sandy to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding72%Cold waves22%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Big Sandy faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Big Sandy flood?

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

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

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Big Sandy itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Big Sandy.

Brought FEMA money into Big SandyDeclared for McDowell County only
2025

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

7 households applied for aid $74K aid approved
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

2 households applied for aid
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

10 households applied for aid $20K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

1 household applied for aid $595 aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

2 households applied for aid $573 aid approved
2003

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

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
McDowell County has had 23 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. Big Sandy 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 Big Sandy’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Big Sandy. 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/19 · 2025-01-01
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