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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Silex · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Silex

Silex isn’t graded for hazard risk: Silex has 355 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 65 claims here since 1982.

Flood claims
65
paid since 1982 · $1.6M
Flooded more than once
3
properties
Disasters paid out here
5
of 24 declared for Lincoln County
By hazard

What Silex 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

83%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 15 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Earthquakes 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 13% of Silex’s 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 Silex flood? Sometimes: 65 flood claims since 1982

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1982: 3 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 15 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 37 claims2009: 1 claim2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 9 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199420082015
19822026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Ike36 claims · $1.2M
65
paid claims since 1982
$1.6M
paid to owners
3
homes flooded more than once
$24K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Silex 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

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Silex

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

  1. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$223K to the City of Silex for repairs
  2. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$107K to the City of Silex for repairs
  3. 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado59 households applied for aid$401K aid approved$30K to the City of Silex for repairs
  4. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding8 households applied for aid$25K aid approved
  5. 2006Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding13 households applied for aid$905 aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SilexLincoln 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 Silex after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Silex archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Silex 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 Silex

Does Silex flood?

Flood insurance has paid 65 claims in Silex since 1982, $1.6M in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (36).

Is Silex 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 Silex?

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

By FEMA money that reached Silex, Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado (2008): 59 households applied for aid, $401K approved, and $30K to the City of Silex for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 36 paid, $1.2M.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Silex.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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