Frasier, Thomas T. and Wesley B. Houses · Photo: Bwsmith84 · CC BY 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Brookside
Brookside isn’t graded for hazard risk: Brookside has 610 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 47 claims here since 1980.
What Brookside 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
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.
Does Brookside flood? Sometimes: 47 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brookside, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan14 claims · $269K
Brookside isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Belmont County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Brookside
Disasters that paid out in Brookside itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Brookside), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$6K to the Village of Brookside for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding$42K to the Village of Brookside for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides$8K to the Village of Brookside for repairs
- 2003Severe Winter Storm and Record/near Record Snow$9K to the Village of Brookside for repairs
Belmont County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Brookside after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Brookside archive →Brookside and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | Dmore damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | 35 |
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 Brookside 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.
- 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 Brookside
Does Brookside flood?
Flood insurance has paid 47 claims in Brookside since 1980, $862K in all. 10 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (14).
Is Brookside 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 Belmont County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Brookside?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brookside’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 Brookside?
By FEMA money that reached Brookside, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): $42K to the Village of Brookside for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 14 paid, $269K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brookside.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brookside’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.