Natural hazards · Avondale

Avondale, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Avondale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 43 claims here since 1989. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Avondale?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Avondale to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Heat waves5%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Avondale faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Avondale flood?

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

43paid claims since 1989

$3.5Mpaid to owners

12homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isaias: 5 claims, $268K
Hurricane Ida: 5 claims, $636K
Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $455K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Avondale isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Chester County.

Disasters that hit Avondale

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Avondale itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of Avondale.

Brought FEMA money into AvondaleDeclared for Chester County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

43 households applied for aid $50K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

2 households applied for aid

2011

Hurricane Irene

16 households applied for aid $26K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

9 households applied for aid $48K aid approved

2003

Tropical Storms Henri and Isabel and Related Severe Storms and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $254K aid approved

Chester County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Avondale

Avondale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Avondalemostly inland floodingModerate

London Grovemostly inland floodingModerate

New Gardenmostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Avondale is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Avondale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Avondale. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.