Natural hazards · Cheswick

Cheswick, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cheswick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1980. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cheswick?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cheswick to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding90%Cold waves6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Cheswick faces

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

Inland flooding

90% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Cheswick flood?

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

5paid claims since 1980

$48Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 2 claims, $30K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Allegheny County.

Disasters that hit Cheswick

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CheswickDeclared for Allegheny County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

63 households applied for aid $140K aid approved

Allegheny County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Cheswick

Cheswick and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cheswickmostly inland floodingHigh

Springdalemostly inland floodingModerate

Harmarmostly inland floodingLow

Springdalemostly inland floodingLow

Plummostly 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. Cheswick covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cheswick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Cheswick. 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 Cheswick total about $772K 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.