More hazard damage per building is expected in Weldon than in 96% of U.S. towns, led by wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Weldon gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (44%), then river and rain flooding (42%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Weldon faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
Earthquakes
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 Weldon’s grade
Wildfire is 44% of the building damage FEMA expects in Weldon, and Weldon’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 42% (higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts).
D− higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Weldon’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Weldon: $1.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Weldon flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Weldon. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Weldon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kern County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Weldon
Disasters that paid out in Weldon itself (aid to households or repair grants to Weldon), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides62 households applied for aid$146K aid approved
Kern County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 15 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Kern County, 2002–2024.
Old photos of Weldon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Weldon archive →Weldon and its neighbors
Weldon has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weldon | D−more damage than 96% | wildfire | 0 |
| Onyx | — | 245 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 Weldon faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Weldon
Is Weldon at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Weldon has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (44%) and river and rain flooding (42%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Weldon 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 Kern County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Weldon?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Weldon’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 Weldon?
By FEMA money that reached Weldon, Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2023): 62 households applied for aid, $146K approved.
Is Weldon at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (44%), and Weldon’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Weldon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Weldon’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.