Natural hazards · Hellam

Hellam, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hellam comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 111 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 Hellam?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hellam to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes12%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Hellam faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Hellam flood?

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

111paid claims since 1978

$1.1Mpaid to owners

14homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 17 claims, $356K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 6 claims, $143K
Not a named storm: 3 claims, $6K

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

Insurance rates: York County.

Disasters that hit Hellam

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HellamDeclared for York County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1 household applied for aid $349 aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

40 households applied for aid $112K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved

York County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Hellam

Hellam and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wrightsvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Manormostly inland floodingModerate

Hellammostly inland floodingModerate

Conoymostly inland floodingModerate

West Hempfieldmostly inland floodingLow

East Donegalmostly inland floodingLow

Lower Windsormostly inland floodingLow

Springettsburymostly inland floodingLow

East Manchestermostly 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. Hellam covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hellam’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Hellam. 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 Hellam total about $3.1M 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.