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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Kelford · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Kelford

Kelford isn’t graded for hazard risk: Kelford has 177 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 21 declared for Bertie County
By hazard

What Kelford faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

64%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

River and rain flooding

30%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Hail Ice storms Strong wind Winter storms Coastal flooding Wildfire Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 11% of Kelford’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 Kelford flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Kelford. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Bertie County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kelford

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

  1. 2016Hurricane Matthew43 households applied for aid$42K aid approved
  2. 2011Hurricane Irene50 households applied for aid$55K aid approved
  3. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-line Winds16 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  4. 2003Hurricane Isabel122 households applied for aid$81K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in KelfordBertie County only

Bertie County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Kelford archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Kelford faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
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 ↗
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 Kelford

Is Kelford 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 Bertie County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Kelford?

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

By FEMA money that reached Kelford, Hurricane Isabel (2003): 122 households applied for aid, $81K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kelford.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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