Storms, floods and disasters in Nelliston
Nelliston isn’t graded for hazard risk: Nelliston has 707 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Nelliston 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
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 Nelliston flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Nelliston. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Nelliston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Montgomery County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Nelliston
Disasters that paid out in Nelliston itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Nelliston), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2006Severe Storms and Flooding6 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$23K to the Village of Nelliston for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$34K to the Village of Nelliston for repairs
- 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes4 households applied for aid$4K aid approved$47K to the Village of Nelliston for repairs
Montgomery County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Nelliston after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Nelliston archive →Nelliston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palatine | B−less damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Canajoharie | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Fort Plain | Dmore damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 86 |
| Minden | Dmore damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
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 Nelliston 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.
- 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 Nelliston
Is Nelliston 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 Montgomery County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Nelliston?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Nelliston’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 Nelliston?
By FEMA money that reached Nelliston, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2003): 4 households applied for aid, $4K approved, and $47K to the Village of Nelliston for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Nelliston.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Nelliston’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.