Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5Storms, floods and disasters in Abercrombie
Abercrombie isn’t graded for hazard risk: Abercrombie has 232 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1998.
What Abercrombie faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
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.
Does Abercrombie flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1998
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Abercrombie, from FEMA’s records.
Abercrombie isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Richland County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Abercrombie
Disasters that paid out in Abercrombie itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Abercrombie), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Flooding$11K to the City of Abercrombie for repairs
- 2010Flooding$4K to the City of Abercrombie for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding7 households applied for aid$17K aid approved$28K to the City of Abercrombie for repairs
- 2001Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation$11K to the City of Abercrombie for repairs
Richland County has had 32 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Abercrombie after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Abercrombie archive →Abercrombie and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abercrombie Township | — | 401 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| McCauleyville Township | — | 50 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Abercrombie faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Abercrombie
Does Abercrombie flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Abercrombie since 1998, $3K in all.
Is Abercrombie 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 Richland County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Abercrombie?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Abercrombie’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 Abercrombie?
By FEMA money that reached Abercrombie, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): 7 households applied for aid, $17K approved, and $28K to the City of Abercrombie for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Abercrombie.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Abercrombie’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.