Photo: Shannon McGee · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in Valley Head
Valley Head isn’t graded for hazard risk: Valley Head has 669 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2014.
What Valley Head 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
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). 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.
Does Valley Head flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Valley Head, from FEMA’s records.
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $39K
Valley Head isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: DeKalb County.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Valley Head
Disasters that paid out in Valley Head itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Valley Head), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Severe Thunderstorms$63K to the Town of Valley Head for repairs
- 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding9 households applied for aid$673 aid approved$122K to the Town of Valley Head for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding128 households applied for aid$315K aid approved
- 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$273 aid approved$9K to the Town of Valley Head for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding9 households applied for aid$5K aid approved$18K to the Town of Valley Head for repairs
- 2000Severe Winter Storms$15K to the Town of Valley Head for repairs
DeKalb County has had 30 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in DeKalb County, 1999–1999.
Old photos of Valley Head after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Valley Head archive →Valley Head and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Payne | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 23 |
| Hammondville | — | 287 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Mentone | — | 377 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Valley Head faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, 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.
- 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.
Questions about natural hazards in Valley Head
Does Valley Head flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Valley Head since 2014, $39K in all. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (1).
Is Valley Head 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 DeKalb County, 7% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Valley Head?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Valley Head’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 Valley Head?
By FEMA money that reached Valley Head, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2011): 128 households applied for aid, $315K approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 1 paid, $39K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Valley Head.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Valley Head’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.