Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 148 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chester?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes13%Heat waves9%Tornadoes6%Cold waves6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chester flood?

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

148paid claims since 1978

$3.2Mpaid to owners

29homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 31 claims, $1.3M
Hurricane Irene: 21 claims, $197K
Hurricane Isaias: 6 claims, $105K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (10) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Delaware County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Chester

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,812 households applied for aid $2.1M aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

79 households applied for aid $74K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

697 households applied for aid $912K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

19 households applied for aid $44K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

52 households applied for aid $51K aid approved

Delaware County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Greenwichmostly inland floodingVery high

Chestermostly inland floodingHigh

Uplandmostly inland floodingModerate

Eddystonemostly inland floodingModerate

Loganmostly inland floodingModerate

Brookhavenmostly inland floodingModerate

Parksidemostly inland floodingLow

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

Ridleymostly inland floodingLow

Nether Providencemostly inland floodingVery low

Upper Chichestermostly inland floodingVery low

Trainermostly 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. Chester covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Chester total about $8.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.