Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0FEMA puts Abbottstown’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 84% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Abbottstown gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%), then hurricanes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1978.
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 Abbottstown 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
Hurricanes
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.
What’s behind Abbottstown’s grade
River and rain flooding is 74% of the building damage FEMA expects in Abbottstown, and Abbottstown’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 14% (higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts).
A− lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Abbottstown’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $210K a year in losses across Abbottstown: $163K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Abbottstown flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Abbottstown, from FEMA’s records: 19.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 84% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ida1 claim · $26K
- Tropical Storm Lee1 claim · $5K
Abbottstown isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Adams County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Abbottstown
Disasters that paid out in Abbottstown itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Abbottstown), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida4 households applied for aid$4K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $26K
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee8 households applied for aid$10K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $5K
Adams County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Abbottstown after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Abbottstown archive →Abbottstown and its neighbors
Abbottstown is 2nd of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berwick Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Abbottstown | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Paradise Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 34 |
| Hamilton Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 53 |
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 Abbottstown 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.
- 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.
- 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 Abbottstown
Is Abbottstown at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Abbottstown has lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%) and hurricanes (14%). 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.
Does Abbottstown flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Abbottstown since 1978, $88K in all, or 19.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 84% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (1).
Is Abbottstown 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 Adams County, 25% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Abbottstown?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Abbottstown’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 Abbottstown?
By FEMA money that reached Abbottstown, Tropical Storm Lee (2011): 8 households applied for aid, $10K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 1 paid, $26K.
Is Abbottstown at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (74%), and Abbottstown’s rate for it is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Abbottstown.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Abbottstown’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.