Old Hannastown, Site of · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect less hazard damage per building than Hempfield Township, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hempfield Township gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #22 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (89%). Flood insurance has paid 93 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 stands out about Hempfield Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Hempfield 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 Hempfield Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 89% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hempfield Township, and Hempfield Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ #22 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Hempfield Township’s residents live in 17 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, Hempfield Township has less expected damage per building than 98% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $5.9M a year in losses across Hempfield Township: $5.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hempfield Township flood? Sometimes: 93 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hempfield Township, from FEMA’s records: 5.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 60% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ida1 claim · $2K
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $15K
Hempfield 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: Westmoreland County.The storms Hempfield Township remembers
None of the 17 disasters declared for Westmoreland County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hempfield Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 200919 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 202612 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 201910 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Westmoreland County has had 17 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 Hempfield Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hempfield Township archive →Hempfield Township and its neighbors
Hempfield Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 10 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hempfield Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 93 |
| Unity Township | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 89 |
| Penn Township | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 276 |
| Salem Township | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | — |
| North Huntingdon Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | 52 |
| East Huntingdon Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Mount Pleasant Township | Aless damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 46 |
| South Huntingdon Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 32 |
| Jeannette | B+less damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 42 |
| Sewickley Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 74 |
| Hunker | — | 297 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 Hempfield 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 Hempfield Township
Is Hempfield Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hempfield Township has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #22 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (89%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Hempfield Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 93 claims in Hempfield Township since 1978, $1.4M in all, or 5.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 60% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (1).
Is Hempfield 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 Westmoreland County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hempfield Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hempfield 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 Hempfield Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 1 paid, $2K.
Is Hempfield Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (89%), and Hempfield Township’s rate for it is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hempfield Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hempfield 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.