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Main Street (Pound, VA)Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Pound · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Pound

Pound isn’t graded for hazard risk: Pound has 913 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1982.

Flood claims
48
paid since 1982 · $378K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
5
of 16 declared for Wise County
By hazard

What Pound 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

90%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Tornadoes Strong wind Hurricanes Hail Landslides top 4% Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 14% of Pound’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Pound flood? Sometimes: 48 flood claims since 1982

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1982: 39 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 2 claims1985: 1 claim1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 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: 1 claim2022: 4 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims198219842022
19822026
Biggest named events
  • The Late July Flooding4 claims · $110K
48
paid claims since 1982
$378K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$8K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Wise County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pound

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

  1. 2024Tropical Storm Helene27 households applied for aid$109K aid approved
  2. 2009Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$14K to the Town of Pound for repairs
  3. 2003Severe Winter Storm, Record/near Record Snowfall, Heavy Rain,floodind, and Mudslide6 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
  4. 2002Severe Storms and Flooding$8K to the Town of Pound for repairs
  5. 2001Severe Storms and Flooding$16K to the Town of Pound for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PoundWise County only

Wise County has had 16 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 Pound after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Pound archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Pound 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 ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
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 Pound

Does Pound flood?

Flood insurance has paid 48 claims in Pound since 1982, $378K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Late July Flooding (4).

Is Pound 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 Wise County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Pound?

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

By FEMA money that reached Pound, Tropical Storm Helene (2024): 27 households applied for aid, $109K approved. By flood claims, Late July Flooding: 4 paid, $110K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pound.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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