Storms, floods and disasters in McRoberts
McRoberts isn’t graded for hazard risk: McRoberts has 556 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2022.
What McRoberts 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 McRoberts flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 2022
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in McRoberts, from FEMA’s records.
- The Late July Flooding8 claims · $426K
McRoberts isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Letcher County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to McRoberts
Disasters that paid out in McRoberts itself (aid to households or repair grants to McRoberts), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides1 households applied for aid$500 aid approved8 flood claims paid that year
Letcher County has had 35 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 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Letcher County, 2016–2016.
Old photos of McRoberts after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the McRoberts archive →McRoberts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkins | Dmore damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Fleming-Neon | — | 567 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 McRoberts 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 McRoberts
Does McRoberts flood?
Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in McRoberts since 2022, $426K in all. The most claims came from Late July Flooding (8).
Is McRoberts 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 Letcher County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in McRoberts?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for McRoberts’ 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 McRoberts?
By FEMA money that reached McRoberts, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2022): 1 households applied for aid, $500 approved. By flood claims, Late July Flooding: 8 paid, $426K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in McRoberts.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where McRoberts’ 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.