FEMA puts Gilbert Creek’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gilbert Creek gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (97%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Gilbert Creek 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.
What’s behind Gilbert Creek’s grade
River and rain flooding is 97% of the building damage FEMA expects in Gilbert Creek, and Gilbert Creek’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Gilbert Creek’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $733K a year in losses across Gilbert Creek: $653K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Gilbert Creek flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Gilbert Creek. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Gilbert Creek isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Mingo County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Gilbert Creek
Disasters that paid out in Gilbert Creek itself (aid to households or repair grants to Gilbert Creek), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides2 households applied for aid$30K aid approved
Mingo County has had 31 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.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Mingo County, 2001–2001.
Old photos of Gilbert Creek after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Gilbert Creek archive →Gilbert Creek and its neighbors
Gilbert Creek has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Creek | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Gilbert | — | 308 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 Gilbert Creek 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 Gilbert Creek
Is Gilbert Creek at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gilbert Creek has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (97%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Gilbert Creek 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 Mingo County, 17% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 3.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Gilbert Creek?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Gilbert Creek’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 Gilbert Creek?
By FEMA money that reached Gilbert Creek, Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides (2009): 2 households applied for aid, $30K approved.
Is Gilbert Creek at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (97%), and Gilbert Creek’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gilbert Creek.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Gilbert Creek’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.