On FEMA’s figures, Valencia West faces more hazard damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Valencia West gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #131 of 140 in Arizona. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%), then wildfire (12%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Valencia West 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
Wildfire
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.
What’s behind Valencia West’s grade
River and rain flooding is 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in Valencia West, and Valencia West’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 12%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #131 of 140 in Arizona; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Valencia West’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Arizona town has higher expected damage than 78% of U.S. towns; within the state, Valencia West has more expected damage per building than 94% of Arizona towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $7.6M a year in losses across Valencia West: $5.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Valencia West flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2008
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Valencia West, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Valencia West isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Pima County.The storms Valencia West remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Pima County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Valencia West itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20081 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Pima County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Pima County, 2003–2020.
Old photos of Valencia West after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Valencia West archive →Valencia West and its neighbors
Valencia West is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel Heights | C−more damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Tucson Estates | D−more damage than 95% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Valencia West | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
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 Valencia West 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.
- 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.
- 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 Valencia West
Is Valencia West at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Valencia West has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #131 of 140 in Arizona. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%) and wildfire (12%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Valencia West flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Valencia West since 2008, $1K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Valencia West 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 Pima County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Valencia West?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Valencia West’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Valencia West at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and Valencia West’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Valencia West.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Valencia West’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.