Photo: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Mesquite’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 81% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mesquite gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns, #21 of 42 in Nevada. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (51%), then wildfire (40%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2005.
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 Mesquite’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Mesquite 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
Wildfire
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 Mesquite’s grade
River and rain flooding is 51% of the building damage FEMA expects in Mesquite, and Mesquite’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 40%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #21 of 42 in Nevada; higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Mesquite’s residents live in 7 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, Mesquite has less expected damage per building than 51% of Nevada towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $12.3M a year in losses across Mesquite: $8.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Mesquite flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Mesquite, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Mesquite is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Clark County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Mesquite
Disasters that paid out in Mesquite itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Mesquite), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2005Heavy Rains and Flooding$344K to the City of Mesquite for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
Clark County has had 6 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 5 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Clark County, 2002–2013.
Old photos of Mesquite after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Mesquite archive →Mesquite and its neighbors
Mesquite has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesquite | C−more damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Bunkerville | — | 370 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Mesquite 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Mesquite residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Mesquite
Is Mesquite at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mesquite has higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #21 of 42 in Nevada. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (51%) and wildfire (40%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Mesquite flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Mesquite since 2005, $49K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Mesquite 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 Clark County, 30% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Mesquite?
Mesquite is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Mesquite?
By FEMA money that reached Mesquite, Heavy Rains and Flooding (2005): $344K to the City of Mesquite for repairs.
Is Mesquite at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (51%), and Mesquite’s rate for it is higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mesquite.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Mesquite’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.