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Natural hazards · Welch

Welch, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Welch comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 211 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Welch?

94
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Welch 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 Welch 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 Welch flood?

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

211paid claims since 1978
$3.8Mpaid to owners
30homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • February West Virginia Flooding: 26 claims, $1.9M
  • Storm: 7 claims, $43K
  • April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Welch 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

50flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Welch

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WelchDeclared for McDowell County only
2025

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

326 households applied for aid $3.4M aid approved $843K to the City of Welch for repairs
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

19 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $17K to the City of Welch for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

241 households applied for aid $467K aid approved $36K to the City of Welch for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$14K to the City of Welch for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

74 households applied for aid $145K aid approved $29K to the City of Welch for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$820 to the City of Welch for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

46 households applied for aid $69K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

78 households applied for aid $132K aid approved $38K to the City of Welch for repairs
2003

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

23 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $14K to the City of Welch for repairs
2002

Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

$525K to the City of Welch for repairs
2001

Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

$134K to the City of Welch for repairs
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. Welch 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 Welch’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Welch. 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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