Storms, floods and disasters in Pearl
Pearl isn’t graded for hazard risk: Pearl has 64 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1979.
What Pearl 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 Pearl flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pearl, from FEMA’s records.
Pearl isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Pike County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pearl
Disasters that paid out in Pearl itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Pearl), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$27K to the Village of Pearl for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$12K aid approved$19K to the Village of Pearl for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding27 households applied for aid$167K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
- 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$11K to the Village of Pearl for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
Pike County has had 22 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.
Old photos of Pearl after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pearl archive →Pearl 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patterson Township | — | 359 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Pearl Township | — | 114 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 Pearl 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 Pearl
Does Pearl flood?
Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Pearl since 1979, $270K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Pearl 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 Pike County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pearl?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pearl’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 Pearl?
By FEMA money that reached Pearl, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2003): 27 households applied for aid, $167K approved.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pearl.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pearl’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.