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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Chain of Rocks · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Chain of Rocks

Chain of Rocks isn’t graded for hazard risk: Chain of Rocks has 255 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2008.

Flood claims
3
paid since 2008 · $166K
Flooded more than once
1
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
0
of 24 declared for Lincoln County
By hazard

What Chain of Rocks 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

85%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Wildfire Winter storms Ice storms Lightning Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 11% of Chain of Rocks’ expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Chain of Rocks flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2008

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2008: 1 claim2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 2 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims20082015
20082026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Ike1 claim · $41K
  • The Early winter storms1 claim · $1K
3
paid claims since 2008
$166K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$55K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Lincoln County.
Disasters

The storms Chain of Rocks remembers

None of the 24 disasters declared for Lincoln County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Chain of Rocks itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

  1. 20152 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, declared for Lincoln County
  2. 20081 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado, declared for Lincoln County
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Chain of RocksLincoln County only

Lincoln County has had 24 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 Chain of Rocks after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Chain of Rocks archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Chain of Rocks 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 ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
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 Chain of Rocks

Does Chain of Rocks flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Chain of Rocks since 2008, $166K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (1).

Is Chain of Rocks 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 Lincoln County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Chain of Rocks?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Chain of Rocks’ 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 Chain of Rocks?

By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 1 paid, $41K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Chain of Rocks.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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