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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Fincastle · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Fincastle

Fincastle isn’t graded for hazard risk: Fincastle has 717 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1997.

Flood claims
3
paid since 1997 · $3K
Disasters paid out here
0
of 18 declared for Jefferson County
By hazard

What Fincastle 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

86%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hail Ice storms Strong wind Winter storms Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts tornadoes at 34% of Fincastle’s expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (9.1%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Fincastle flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1997

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fincastle, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1997: 2 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 1 claim2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19972000
19972026
3
paid claims since 1997
$3K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$916
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.
Disasters

The storms Fincastle remembers

None of the 18 disasters declared for Jefferson County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Fincastle itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

  1. 19972 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storm, Flooding, and Tornadoes, declared for Jefferson County
  2. 20001 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in FincastleJefferson County only

Jefferson County has had 18 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Fincastle archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Fincastle 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 ↗
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 Fincastle

Does Fincastle flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Fincastle since 1997, $3K in all.

Is Fincastle 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 Jefferson County, 53% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Fincastle?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fincastle’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fincastle.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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