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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Benoit · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Benoit

Benoit isn’t graded for hazard risk: Benoit has 509 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1978.

Flood claims
36
paid since 1978 · $533K
Flooded more than once
5
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
4
of 20 declared for Bolivar County
By hazard

What Benoit 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

56%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

24%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Ice storms Hurricanes Cold waves top 1% Winter storms Lightning Wildfire 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 drought at 8% of Benoit’s expected losses. Drought does 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 Benoit flood? Sometimes: 36 flood claims since 1978

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 1 claim1979: 4 claims1980: 1 claim1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 5 claims1984: 2 claims1985: 1 claim1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 1 claim1991: 3 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 3 claims1994: 2 claims1995: 3 claims1996: 1 claim1997: 3 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 1 claim2003: 1 claim2004: 0 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 2 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197919831991
19782026
Biggest named events
  • The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $53K
36
paid claims since 1978
$533K
paid to owners
5
homes flooded more than once
$15K
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

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

Insurance rates: Bolivar County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
8homes raised above flood level
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Benoit

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm151 households applied for aid$251K aid approved
  2. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding7 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
  3. 2011Flooding89 households applied for aid$383K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  4. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding51 households applied for aid$296K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BenoitBolivar County only

Bolivar County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Benoit archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Benoit 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 ↗
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 Benoit

Does Benoit flood?

Flood insurance has paid 36 claims in Benoit since 1978, $533K in all. 5 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (1).

Is Benoit 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 Bolivar County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Benoit?

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

By FEMA money that reached Benoit, Flooding (2011): 89 households applied for aid, $383K approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 1 paid, $53K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Benoit.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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