Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Mertarvik

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Mertarvik · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Mertarvik

Mertarvik isn’t graded for hazard risk: Mertarvik has 12 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 18 declared for its 2 counties
By hazard

What Mertarvik faces

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

River and rain flooding

69%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 98% of U.S. census tracts

Tsunamis

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

Wildfire

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts

Winter storms

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 18 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Cold waves top 2% Lightning Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Ice storms Landslides Avalanches top 1% Volcanic activity
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesHeat waves
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 88% of Mertarvik’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (1.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage); winter storms is FEMA’s “Winter Weather” (snow, sleet and freezing rain). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

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 Mertarvik flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Mertarvik. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

Mertarvik isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Bethel Census Area.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Mertarvik

Disasters that paid out in Mertarvik itself (aid to households or repair grants to Mertarvik), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong1 households applied for aid$700 aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Mertarvikits 2 counties only

Its 2 counties have had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms.

Were you here?

Old photos of Mertarvik after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Mertarvik archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Mertarvik faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tsunamis
  • Strong shaking or a sudden drop in the sea means head for high ground now.
  • Learn the tsunami route signs near the shore.
  • Stay away until officials say it’s safe.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Winter storms
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Mertarvik

Is Mertarvik in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Bethel Census Area, 2.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Mertarvik?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Mertarvik’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Mertarvik?

By FEMA money that reached Mertarvik, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong (2025): 1 households applied for aid, $700 approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mertarvik.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Mertarvik’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.