FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Lemmon Valley than in 94% of U.S. towns, led by wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lemmon Valley gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns, #40 of 42 in Nevada. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (41%), then river and rain flooding (30%). Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1997.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about Lemmon Valley’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Lemmon Valley faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
Earthquakes
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.
What’s behind Lemmon Valley’s grade
Wildfire is 41% of the building damage FEMA expects in Lemmon Valley, and Lemmon Valley’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 30% (higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts).
D #40 of 42 in Nevada; higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Lemmon Valley’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Nevada town has higher expected damage than 81% of U.S. towns; within the state, Lemmon Valley has more expected damage per building than 95% of Nevada towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.5M a year in losses across Lemmon Valley: $2.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Lemmon Valley flood? Sometimes: 33 flood claims since 1997
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lemmon Valley, from FEMA’s records: 17.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 82% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Lemmon Valley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Washoe County.The storms Lemmon Valley remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Washoe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lemmon Valley itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201722 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides, declared for Washoe County
- 20054 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Washoe County
- 20153 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Washoe County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 42 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Washoe County, 1999–2026.
Old photos of Lemmon Valley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lemmon Valley archive →Lemmon Valley and its neighbors
Lemmon Valley is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reno | C−more damage than 80% | earthquakes | 183 |
| Golden Valley | Dmore damage than 93% | wildfire | — |
| Lemmon Valley | Dmore damage than 94% | wildfire | 33 |
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 Lemmon Valley faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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.
- 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 Lemmon Valley
Is Lemmon Valley at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lemmon Valley has higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #40 of 42 in Nevada. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (41%) and river and rain flooding (30%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Lemmon Valley flood?
Flood insurance has paid 33 claims in Lemmon Valley since 1997, $434K in all, or 17.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 82% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Lemmon Valley 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 Washoe County, 31% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lemmon Valley?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lemmon Valley’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Lemmon Valley at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (41%), and Lemmon Valley’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lemmon Valley.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lemmon Valley’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.