Storms, floods and disasters in Westville
Westville isn’t graded for hazard risk: Westville has 253 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1994.
What Westville faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
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 Westville flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 1994
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Westville, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Georges (Panhandle)4 claims · $41K
- Tropical Storm Alberto1 claim · $12K
Westville isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Holmes County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Westville
Disasters that paid out in Westville itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Westville), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Hurricane Sally2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
- 2018Hurricane Michael166 households applied for aid$48K aid approved
- 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$242 aid approved
- 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds44 households applied for aid$74K aid approved$2K to the Town of Westville for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2004Hurricane Ivan272 households applied for aid$480K aid approved$5K to the Town of Westville for repairs
Holmes County has had 29 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Holmes County, 1999–1999.
Old photos of Westville after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Westville archive →Westville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caryville | — | 309 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 Westville faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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 Westville
Does Westville flood?
Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Westville since 1994, $103K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Georges (Panhandle) (4).
Is Westville 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 Holmes County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Westville?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Westville’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 Westville?
By FEMA money that reached Westville, Hurricane Ivan (2004): 272 households applied for aid, $480K approved, and $5K to the Town of Westville for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Georges (Panhandle): 4 paid, $41K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Westville.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Westville’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.