Natural hazards · Hamilton

Hamilton, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hamilton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Hamilton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hamilton to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding41%Cold waves36%Everything else24%

By hazard

What Hamilton faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

36% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 23 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Hamilton flood?

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

3paid claims since 1978

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 2 claims, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Hamilton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Pembina County.

Disasters that hit Hamilton

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Hamilton itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Hamilton.

Brought FEMA money into HamiltonDeclared for Pembina County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation

$5K to the City of Hamilton for repairs

2001

Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation

$13K to the City of Hamilton for repairs

Pembina County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Hamilton is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hamilton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hamilton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.