Newell’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Newell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Newell’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Newell flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Newell. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Newell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hancock County.How exposed is Newell?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 370 of the 438 West Virginia towns we cover.
Newell is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
What Newell faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Newell
Disasters that paid out in Newell itself (aid to households or repair grants to Newell) and its biggest flood years.
- 2024Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides1 household applied for aid
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides4 households applied for aid$914 aid approved
Hancock County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Old photos of Newell after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Newell archive →Get ready for what Newell 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.
Newell and its neighbors
Newell ranks 3rd calmest of 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | High | inland flooding | 4 |
| Newell | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| East Liverpool | Low | inland flooding | 4 |
| Liverpool | Low | inland flooding | 11 |
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.
Most disasters here begin in January–February
The month each of Hancock County’s 16 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 Newell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Newell.
- 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.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Newell.
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.