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Petersburg-fire-dept-town-hall-tnPhoto: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Petersburg · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Petersburg

Petersburg isn’t graded for hazard risk: Petersburg has 508 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1991.

Flood claims
2
paid since 1991 · $52K
Disasters paid out here
1
of 12 declared for Lincoln County
By hazard

What Petersburg 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
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 12 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Hail Ice storms Hurricanes Lightning Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 12% of Petersburg’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.1%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Petersburg flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1991

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Petersburg, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1991: 1 claim1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims19912025
19912026
2
paid claims since 1991
$52K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$26K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Lincoln County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Petersburg

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

  1. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding11 households applied for aid$24K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PetersburgLincoln County only

Lincoln County has had 12 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 Petersburg after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Petersburg archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Petersburg 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 Petersburg

Does Petersburg flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Petersburg since 1991, $52K in all.

Is Petersburg 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 Lincoln County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Petersburg?

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

By FEMA money that reached Petersburg, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2003): 11 households applied for aid, $24K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Petersburg.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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