Photo: Ken Thomas · Public domainStorms, floods and disasters in Gauley Bridge
Gauley Bridge isn’t graded for hazard risk: Gauley Bridge has 413 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 2001.
What Gauley Bridge 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.
Does Gauley Bridge flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 2001
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gauley Bridge, from FEMA’s records.
- The Summer severe storms1 claim · $36K
- The West Virginia Flooding1 claim · $8K
Gauley Bridge isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Fayette County.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Gauley Bridge
Disasters that paid out in Gauley Bridge itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Gauley Bridge), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides6 households applied for aid$27K aid approved
- 2022Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$1.0M to the Town of Gauley Bridge for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2016Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides23 households applied for aid$65K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds7 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides7 households applied for aid$10K aid approved
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides8 households applied for aid$24K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
Show all 7
- 2001Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides$72K to the Town of Gauley Bridge for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Fayette County has had 20 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.
Old photos of Gauley Bridge after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Gauley Bridge archive →Gauley Bridge and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Ferris | — | 41 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Gauley Bridge 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 Gauley Bridge
Does Gauley Bridge flood?
Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in Gauley Bridge since 2001, $97K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Summer severe storms (1).
Is Gauley Bridge 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 Fayette County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Gauley Bridge?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Gauley Bridge’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 Gauley Bridge?
By FEMA money that reached Gauley Bridge, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2022): $1.0M to the Town of Gauley Bridge for repairs. By flood claims, Summer severe storms: 1 paid, $36K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gauley Bridge.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Gauley Bridge’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.