Natural hazards · Williams

Williams, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Williams comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 117 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Williams?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Williams to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding90%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Williams faces

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

Inland flooding

90% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Williams flood?

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

117paid claims since 1979

$4.6Mpaid to owners

28homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 30 claims, $1.3M
Torrential rain: 8 claims, $412K
Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $16K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dauphin County.

Disasters that hit Williams

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into WilliamsDeclared for Dauphin County only

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

Around Williams

Williams and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wiconiscomostly inland floodingVery high

Williamsmostly inland floodingHigh

Portermostly inland floodingModerate

Heginsmostly inland floodingLow

Jacksonmostly inland floodingLow

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. Williams covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Williams’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Williams. 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 Williams total about $3.0M 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.