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–Not graded
Natural hazards in McDowell · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in McDowell

McDowell isn’t graded for hazard risk: McDowell has 718 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 39 declared for Floyd County
By hazard

What McDowell 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

99%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Hail Earthquakes Strong wind Wildfire Hurricanes Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning Avalanches top 1%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 McDowell flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in McDowell. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Floyd County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to McDowell

Disasters that paid out in McDowell itself (aid to households or repair grants to McDowell), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides1 households applied for aid$23K aid approved
  2. 2022Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides1 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
  3. 2021Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides2 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  4. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$494 aid approved
  5. 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding and Mudslides25 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in McDowellFloyd County only

Floyd County has had 39 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 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Floyd County, 1999–2001.

Were you here?

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

Add to the McDowell archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what McDowell 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 ↗
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 McDowell

Is McDowell 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 Floyd County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 3.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in McDowell?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for McDowell’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 McDowell?

By FEMA money that reached McDowell, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2025): 1 households applied for aid, $23K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in McDowell.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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