Natural hazards · Hamilton

Hamilton, PA 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 53 claims here since 1993.

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.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes11%Drought9%Everything else16%

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

65% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Drought

9% of expected damage

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.

53paid claims since 1993

$2.1Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isaias: 7 claims, $716K
Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $102K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 4 claims, $96K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

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: Adams County.

Disasters that hit Hamilton

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Adams County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hamilton itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into HamiltonDeclared for Adams County only

Adams County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Hamilton

Hamilton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Berlinmostly inland floodingModerate

Readingmostly inland floodingModerate

Hamiltonmostly inland floodingLow

Paradisemostly inland floodingLow

Mount Pleasantmostly inland floodingLow

Oxfordmostly inland floodingLow

Berwickmostly inland floodingVery low

Abbottstownmostly inland floodingVery low

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 covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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 Township of Hamilton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Hamilton total about $806K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.