Natural hazards · Poca

Poca, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Poca comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Poca?

93
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Poca to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding92%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Poca faces

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

Inland flooding

92% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Poca flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978
$29Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19782026

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. Poca isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Putnam County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Poca

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PocaDeclared for Putnam County only
2024

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

9 households applied for aid $41K aid approved
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

9 households applied for aid $24K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

19 households applied for aid $55K aid approved
2003

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

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved
Putnam County has had 18 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. Poca 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 Poca’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Poca. 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