Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Pratt
Pratt isn’t graded for hazard risk: Pratt has 438 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1978.
What Pratt 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 Pratt flood? Sometimes: 18 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pratt, from FEMA’s records.
- The Summer severe storms2 claims · $31K
- The Heavy rains1 claim · $4K
Pratt isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kanawha County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pratt
Disasters that paid out in Pratt itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Pratt), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2016Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides8 households applied for aid$9K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
- 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds1 households applied for aid$432 aid approved
- 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides27 households applied for aid$251K aid approved4 flood claims paid that year
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides21 households applied for aid$112K aid approved4 flood claims paid that year
Kanawha County has had 26 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 Kanawha County, 2001–2001.
Old photos of Pratt after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pratt archive →Pratt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hansford | — | 77 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 Pratt 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 Pratt
Does Pratt flood?
Flood insurance has paid 18 claims in Pratt since 1978, $146K in all. 5 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Summer severe storms (2).
Is Pratt 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 Kanawha County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pratt?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pratt’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 Pratt?
By FEMA money that reached Pratt, Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides (2010): 27 households applied for aid, $251K approved. By flood claims, Summer severe storms: 2 paid, $31K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pratt.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pratt’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.