Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Fort Covington faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fort Covington gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (80%), then earthquakes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2018.
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 Fort Covington 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
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 Fort Covington’s grade
River and rain flooding is 80% of the building damage FEMA expects in Fort Covington, and Fort Covington’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 2%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
B− lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Fort Covington’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $460K a year in losses across Fort Covington: $388K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Fort Covington flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2018
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fort Covington, from FEMA’s records: 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Fort Covington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Franklin County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Fort Covington
Disasters that paid out in Fort Covington itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Fort Covington), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby$150K to the Town of Fort Covington for repairs
- 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$4K to the Town of Fort Covington for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms and Flooding$9K to the Town of Fort Covington for repairs
- 2011Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds$11K to the Town of Fort Covington for repairs
Franklin County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Fort Covington after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fort Covington archive →Fort Covington and its neighbors
Fort Covington is 4th of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor | B+less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Westville | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Bombay | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Fort Covington | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Akwesasne | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 Fort Covington 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.
- 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 Fort Covington
Is Fort Covington at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fort Covington has lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (80%) and earthquakes (14%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Fort Covington flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Fort Covington since 2018, $4K in all, or 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Fort Covington 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 Franklin County, 0.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Fort Covington?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fort Covington’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 Fort Covington?
By FEMA money that reached Fort Covington, Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby (2024): $150K to the Town of Fort Covington for repairs.
Is Fort Covington at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (80%), and Fort Covington’s rate for it is higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fort Covington.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Fort Covington’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.