Nathaniel Gist House · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Monarch Mill faces less hazard damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Monarch Mill gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1989.
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 Monarch Mill 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
Tornadoes
Earthquakes
Ice storms
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 Monarch Mill’s grade
River and rain flooding is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Monarch Mill, and Monarch Mill’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 6%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
A− lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Monarch Mill’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $604K a year in losses across Monarch Mill: $369K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Monarch Mill flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Monarch Mill, from FEMA’s records: 1.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Hugo1 claim · $41K
Monarch Mill isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Union County.The storms Monarch Mill remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Union County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Monarch Mill itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19891 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Union County has had 16 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.
Old photos of Monarch Mill after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Monarch Mill archive →Monarch Mill and its neighbors
Monarch Mill is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Monarch Mill | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
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 Monarch Mill 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.
- 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- 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 Monarch Mill
Is Monarch Mill at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Monarch Mill has lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%) and tornadoes (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 Monarch Mill flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Monarch Mill since 1989, $41K in all, or 1.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Hugo (1).
Is Monarch Mill 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 Union County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Monarch Mill?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Monarch Mill’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 Monarch Mill?
By flood claims, Hurricane Hugo: 1 paid, $41K.
Is Monarch Mill at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Monarch Mill’s rate for it is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Monarch Mill.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Monarch Mill’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.