Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hettinger’s building-damage rate from hail is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hettinger gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hail (46%), then river and rain flooding (37%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Hettinger faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hail
River and rain flooding
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.
What’s behind Hettinger’s grade
Hail is 46% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hettinger, and Hettinger’s rate of hail damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 4%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
B− higher expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Hettinger’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Hettinger: $419K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hettinger flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Hettinger. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Hettinger
Disasters that paid out in Hettinger itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Hettinger), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding16 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
Adams County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Hettinger after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hettinger archive →Hettinger and its neighbors
Hettinger has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hettinger | B−more damage than 55% | hail | 0 |
| Hettinger Township | — | 136 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 Hettinger faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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.
- 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 Hettinger
Is Hettinger at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hettinger has higher expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hail (46%) and river and rain flooding (37%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Hettinger 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.
How much is flood insurance in Hettinger?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hettinger’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 Hettinger?
By FEMA money that reached Hettinger, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): 16 households applied for aid, $11K approved.
Is Hettinger at risk from hail?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (46%), and Hettinger’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hettinger.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hettinger’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.