Photo: Magnolia677 · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Gilbert
Gilbert isn’t graded for hazard risk: Gilbert has 308 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 37 claims here since 1978.
What Gilbert 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 Gilbert flood? Sometimes: 37 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gilbert, from FEMA’s records.
- The Storm15 claims · $1.8M
Gilbert 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.10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Gilbert
Disasters that paid out in Gilbert itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Gilbert), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2025Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides26 households applied for aid$161K aid approved
- 2021Severe Storms and Flooding7 households applied for aid$18K aid approved
- 2015Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$9K to the Town of Gilbert for repairs
- 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds11 households applied for aid$6K aid approved$17K to the Town of Gilbert for repairs
- 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides71 households applied for aid$205K aid approved$29K to the Town of Gilbert for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides357 households applied for aid$1.6M aid approved$407K to the Town of Gilbert for repairs15 flood claims paid that year
Show all 10
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides2 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides175 households applied for aid$273K aid approved
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides50 households applied for aid$113K aid approved
- 2003Severe Winter Storm, Record/near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides44 households applied for aid$126K 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 after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Gilbert archive →Gilbert 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Creek | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 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
Does Gilbert flood?
Flood insurance has paid 37 claims in Gilbert since 1978, $2.2M in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Storm (15).
Is Gilbert 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?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Gilbert’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?
By FEMA money that reached Gilbert, Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides (2009): 357 households applied for aid, $1.6M approved, and $407K to the Town of Gilbert for repairs. By flood claims, Storm: 15 paid, $1.8M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gilbert.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Gilbert’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.