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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Lester · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Lester

Lester isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lester has 377 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2001.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2001 · $695
Disasters paid out here
8
of 23 declared for Raleigh County
By hazard

What Lester 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

95%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Wildfire Hurricanes Hail Cold waves top 1% Tornadoes Winter storms Ice storms Lightning Heat waves Landslides
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 Lester flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2001

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2001: 1 claim2002: 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: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2001
20012026
1
paid claims since 2001
$695
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$695
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Raleigh County.
Disasters

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lester

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

  1. 2025Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides7 households applied for aid$22K aid approved
  2. 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds6 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  3. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides2 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
  4. 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides3 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  5. 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides14 households applied for aid$24K aid approved
  6. 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides15 households applied for aid$27K aid approved
Show all 8
  1. 2003Severe Winter Storm, Record/near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides5 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  2. 2001Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides$3K to the Town of Lester for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in LesterRaleigh County only

Raleigh County has had 23 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 Raleigh County, 2001–2001.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Lester archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Lester 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 Lester

Does Lester flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Lester since 2001, $695 in all.

Is Lester 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 Raleigh County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Lester?

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

By FEMA money that reached Lester, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides (2003): 15 households applied for aid, $27K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lester.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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