Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to New Castle

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
New Castle town hall, Market and MiddlePhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in New Castle · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in New Castle

New Castle isn’t graded for hazard risk: New Castle has 138 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2004.

Flood claims
4
paid since 2004 · $32K
Disasters paid out here
1
of 21 declared for Craig County
By hazard

What New Castle 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

97%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Hurricanes Tornadoes Hail Winter storms Wildfire Ice storms Landslides top 4% Lightning Cold waves Heat waves
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 New Castle flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 2004

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2004: 4 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: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2004
20042026
Biggest named events
  • Tropical Storm Ivan3 claims · $20K
4
paid claims since 2004
$32K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$8K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Craig County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to New Castle

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

  1. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding From the Remanants of Hurricane Jeanne34 households applied for aid$51K aid approved4 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in New CastleCraig County only

Craig County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the New Castle archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what New Castle 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 ↗
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 New Castle

Does New Castle flood?

Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in New Castle since 2004, $32K in all. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (3).

Is New Castle 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 Craig County, 17% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in New Castle?

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

By FEMA money that reached New Castle, Severe Storms and Flooding From the Remanants of Hurricane Jeanne (2004): 34 households applied for aid, $51K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 3 paid, $20K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Castle.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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