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HemingwayWaterTowerPhoto: Efy96001 · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Hemingway · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Hemingway

Hemingway isn’t graded for hazard risk: Hemingway has 660 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2016 · $22K
Disasters paid out here
11
of 19 declared for Williamsburg County
By hazard

What Hemingway faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

69%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

River and rain flooding

16%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Tornadoes Ice storms Hail Strong wind Lightning Coastal flooding Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Hemingway flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2016

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hemingway, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2016
20162026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Matthew1 claim · $22K
1
paid claims since 2016
$22K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$22K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Hemingway isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Williamsburg County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
1building retrofitted against wind
1flood-prone property bought out and cleared
Disasters

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hemingway

Disasters that paid out in Hemingway itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Hemingway), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2022Hurricane Ian34 households applied for aid$72K aid approved
  2. 2019Hurricane Dorian$21K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
  3. 2018Hurricane Florence50 households applied for aid$30K aid approved$23K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
  4. 2017Hurricane Irma$23K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
  5. 2016Hurricane Matthew571 households applied for aid$789K aid approved$93K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $22K
  6. 2015Severe Storms and Flooding1,050 households applied for aid$696K aid approved$36K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
Show all 11
  1. 2014Severe Winter Storm$22K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
  2. 2004Tropical Storm Frances255 households applied for aid$79K aid approved
  3. 2004Tropical Storm Gaston$2K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
  4. 2004Severe Ice Storm$30K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
  5. 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$17K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in HemingwayWilliamsburg County only

Williamsburg County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Hemingway after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Hemingway archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Hemingway faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Hemingway

Does Hemingway flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Hemingway since 2016, $22K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Matthew (1).

Is Hemingway 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 Williamsburg County, 7% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Hemingway?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hemingway’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 Hemingway?

By FEMA money that reached Hemingway, Hurricane Matthew (2016): 571 households applied for aid, $789K approved, and $93K to the Town of Hemingway for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Matthew: 1 paid, $22K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hemingway.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hemingway’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.