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Richardson-Turner HouseRichardson-Turner House · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Lexa · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Lexa

Lexa isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lexa has 138 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 15 declared for Phillips County
By hazard

What Lexa 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

56%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

29%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms Strong wind Hail Hurricanes Winter storms Cold waves top 2% Lightning Wildfire Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

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 Lexa flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

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

Insurance rates: Phillips County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lexa

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

  1. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding123 households applied for aid$262K aid approved
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes75 households applied for aid$31K aid approved
  3. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding70 households applied for aid$46K aid approved
  4. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding170 households applied for aid$135K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in LexaPhillips County only

Phillips County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Lexa archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Lexa 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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
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 Lexa

Is Lexa 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 Phillips County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.8% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Lexa?

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

By FEMA money that reached Lexa, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding (2011): 123 households applied for aid, $262K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lexa.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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