FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Rural Hill as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Rural Hill gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%), then earthquakes (11%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2021.
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 Rural Hill 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
Earthquakes
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 Rural Hill’s grade
River and rain flooding is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Rural Hill, and Rural Hill’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 63% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 11% (higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts).
C+ higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Rural Hill’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $815K a year in losses across Rural Hill: $559K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Rural Hill flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2021
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Rural Hill, from FEMA’s records: 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 74% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Rural Hill isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Wilson County.The storms Rural Hill remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Wilson County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Rural Hill itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20211 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes, declared for Wilson County
Wilson County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Rural Hill after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Rural Hill archive →Rural Hill and its neighbors
Rural Hill has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Hill | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Nashville | C+more damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Rural Hill 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Rural Hill
Is Rural Hill at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Rural Hill has higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%) and earthquakes (11%). 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 Rural Hill flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Rural Hill since 2021, $34K in all, or 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 74% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Rural Hill 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 Wilson County, 36% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Rural Hill?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Rural Hill’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Rural Hill at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Rural Hill’s rate for it is higher than 63% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Rural Hill.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Rural Hill’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.