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Thomas West Virginia East AvenuePhoto: Tim Kiser (w:user:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Thomas · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Thomas

Thomas isn’t graded for hazard risk: Thomas has 599 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
6
of 19 declared for Tucker County
By hazard

What Thomas 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 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Hurricanes Tornadoes Winter storms Earthquakes Cold waves top 2% Wildfire Ice storms Lightning Heat waves Landslides Avalanches top 1%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Thomas flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Thomas. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Tucker County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Thomas

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

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$30K to the City of Thomas for repairs
  2. 2015Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$27K to the City of Thomas for repairs
  3. 2012Hurricane Sandy$15K to the City of Thomas for repairs
  4. 2010Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms$769 to the City of Thomas for repairs
  5. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and$11K to the City of Thomas for repairs
  6. 2003Severe Winter Storm, Record/near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides$2K to the City of Thomas for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ThomasTucker County only

Tucker County has had 19 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Thomas archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Thomas 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 Thomas

Is Thomas 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 Tucker County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Thomas?

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

By FEMA money that reached Thomas, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2019): $30K to the City of Thomas for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Thomas.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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