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Wales SitePhoto: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Wales · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Wales

Wales isn’t graded for hazard risk: Wales has 238 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 9 declared for its 2 counties
By hazard

What Wales 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

53%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 98% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

35%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts

Winter storms

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 26 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Cold waves top 2% Volcanic activity top 0% Ice storms Landslides Tornadoes Lightning Avalanches top 1%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesHailStrong windHeat wavesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 87% of Wales’ expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.9%), 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 Wales flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Wales. 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

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

Insurance rates: Nome Census Area.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Wales

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

  1. 2004Severe Winter Storm, Tidal Surges and Flooding$5K to the City of Wales for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Walesits 2 counties only

Its 2 counties have had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Wales archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Wales 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 ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
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 Wales

Is Wales 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 Nome Census Area, 0.9% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Wales?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Wales’ 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 Wales?

By FEMA money that reached Wales, Severe Winter Storm, Tidal Surges and Flooding (2004): $5K to the City of Wales for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wales.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Wales’ 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.