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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Hassell · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Hassell

Hassell isn’t graded for hazard risk: Hassell has 45 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 18 declared for Martin County
By hazard

What Hassell faces

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

Hurricanes

52%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

River and rain flooding

42%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Hail Strong wind Wildfire Winter storms Ice storms Lightning Coastal flooding Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 11% of Hassell’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Hassell flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Hassell. 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

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

Insurance rates: Martin County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hassell

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

  1. 2016Hurricane Matthew3 households applied for aid$652 aid approved
  2. 2011Hurricane Irene7 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  3. 2003Hurricane Isabel10 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in HassellMartin County only

Martin County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Hassell archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Hassell faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
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 Hassell

Is Hassell 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 Martin County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Hassell?

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

By FEMA money that reached Hassell, Hurricane Isabel (2003): 10 households applied for aid, $6K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hassell.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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