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Dr. A. C. Lewis HouseDr. A. C. Lewis House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Winchester · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Winchester

Winchester isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Winchester yet.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 15 declared for Adams County
By hazard

What Winchester 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

78%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms Hail Hurricanes Winter storms Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Winchester flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Winchester. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Winchester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Adams County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
2storm safe rooms built
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Winchester

Disasters that paid out in Winchester itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Winchester), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2003Severe Winter Storm and Record/near Record Snow2 households applied for aid$222 aid approved$1K to the Village of Winchester for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WinchesterAdams County only

Adams County has had 15 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of Winchester after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Winchester archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Winchester faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Winchester

Is Winchester 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 Adams County, 6% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Winchester?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Winchester’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 Winchester?

By FEMA money that reached Winchester, Severe Winter Storm and Record/near Record Snow (2003): 2 households applied for aid, $222 approved, and $1K to the Village of Winchester for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Winchester.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Winchester’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.