Photo: Mvincec · Public domainFEMA puts Adams Township’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, Adams Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, #338 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1980.
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 Adams Township 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.
What’s behind Adams Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 94% of the building damage FEMA expects in Adams Township, and Adams Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #338 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Adams Township’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, Adams Township has less expected damage per building than 67% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.1M a year in losses across Adams Township: $3.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Adams Township flood? Sometimes: 18 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Adams Township, from FEMA’s records: 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ida2 claims · $20K
- Tropical Storm Lee1 claim · $1,000
Adams Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Butler County.The storms Adams Township remembers
None of the 8 disasters declared for Butler County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Adams Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19876 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19803 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Butler County
- 19963 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Butler County
Butler County has had 8 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Adams Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Adams Township archive →Adams Township and its neighbors
Adams Township is 3rd of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranberry Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | 40 |
| Seven Fields | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Adams Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
| Middlesex Township | B−more damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Forward Township | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 160 |
| Callery | — | 458 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Valencia | — | 550 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 Adams Township 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 Adams Township
Is Adams Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Adams Township has lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #338 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Adams Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 18 claims in Adams Township since 1980, $55K in all, or 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (2).
Is Adams Township 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 Butler County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Adams Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Adams Township’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 Adams Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 2 paid, $20K.
Is Adams Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (94%), and Adams Township’s rate for it is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Adams Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Adams Township’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.