Photo: SouthHillEditor · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, South Hill faces more hazard damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns, mostly from earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Hill gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns, #74 of 285 in Washington. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (55%), then river and rain flooding (45%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1979.
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 South Hill faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
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 South Hill’s grade
Earthquakes are 55% of the building damage FEMA expects in South Hill, and South Hill’s rate of earthquakes damage is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 45% (lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts).
C+ #74 of 285 in Washington; higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns (21,298).
South Hill’s residents live in 18 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Washington town has higher expected damage than 76% of U.S. towns; within the state, South Hill has less expected damage per building than 74% of Washington towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $25.9M a year in losses across South Hill: $15.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does South Hill flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in South Hill, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
South 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: Pierce County.The storms South Hill remembers
None of the 21 disasters declared for Pierce County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching South Hill itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19963 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Land and Muds Slides,flooding, declared for Pierce County
- 19791 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20091 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding, declared for Pierce County
Pierce County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Pierce County, 2020–2020.
Old photos of South Hill after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the South Hill archive →South Hill and its neighbors
South Hill is 3rd of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederickson | C+more damage than 61% | earthquakes | — |
| Summit View | C+more damage than 62% | earthquakes | — |
| South Hill | C+more damage than 62% | earthquakes | 5 |
| Graham | C+more damage than 65% | earthquakes | — |
| Puyallup | Dmore damage than 92% | earthquakes | 89 |
| McMillin | Dmore damage than 92% | 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 South 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 South Hill
Is South Hill at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Hill has higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #74 of 285 in Washington. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (55%) and river and rain flooding (45%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does South Hill flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in South Hill since 1979, $273K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is South 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 Pierce County, 44% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in South Hill?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for South Hill’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is South Hill at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (55%), and South Hill’s rate for it is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Hill.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where South 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.