Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA puts Powhatan Point’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 90% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Powhatan Point gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). Flood insurance has paid 73 claims here since 1979.
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 Powhatan Point 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.
What’s behind Powhatan Point’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in Powhatan Point, and Powhatan Point’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
D higher expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Powhatan Point’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Powhatan Point: $843K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Powhatan Point flood? Sometimes: 73 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Powhatan Point, from FEMA’s records: 97.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan31 claims · $860K
Powhatan Point 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.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Powhatan Point
Disasters that paid out in Powhatan Point itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Powhatan Point), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides31 households applied for aid$44K aid approved
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding137 households applied for aid$533K aid approved
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides8 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
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 Powhatan Point after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Powhatan Point archive →Powhatan Point and its neighbors
Powhatan Point is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Township | Dmore damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Powhatan Point | Dmore damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 73 |
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 Powhatan Point 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 Powhatan Point
Is Powhatan Point at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Powhatan Point has higher expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). 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 Powhatan Point flood?
Flood insurance has paid 73 claims in Powhatan Point since 1979, $1.1M in all, or 97.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 18 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (31).
Is Powhatan Point 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 Powhatan Point?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Powhatan Point’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 Powhatan Point?
By FEMA money that reached Powhatan Point, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): 137 households applied for aid, $533K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 31 paid, $860K.
Is Powhatan Point at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and Powhatan Point’s rate for it is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Powhatan Point.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Powhatan Point’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.