Storms, floods and disasters in Westwood
Westwood isn’t graded for hazard risk: Westwood has 338 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2008.
What Westwood 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
Earthquakes
Hail
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 Westwood flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2008
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Westwood, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Ike1 claim · $7K
Westwood isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Louis County.The storms Westwood remembers
None of the 30 disasters declared for St. Louis County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Westwood itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20081 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado, declared for St. Louis County
- 20201 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
St. Louis County has had 30 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.
Old photos of Westwood after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Westwood archive →Westwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town and Country | B−more damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Creve Coeur | C+more damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| Frontenac | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 37 |
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 Westwood 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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 Westwood
Does Westwood flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Westwood since 2008, $34K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (1).
Is Westwood 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 St. Louis County, 34% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Westwood?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Westwood’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 Westwood?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 1 paid, $7K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Westwood.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Westwood’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.