Natural hazards · Colwyn

Colwyn, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Colwyn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 90 claims here since 1981. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Colwyn?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Colwyn to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Earthquakes10%Heat waves9%Cold waves6%Tornadoes5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Colwyn faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% 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

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

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 Colwyn flood?

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

90paid claims since 1981

$3.4Mpaid to owners

15homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 19 claims, $1.5M
Hurricane Floyd: 10 claims, $291K
Hurricane Isaias: 8 claims, $467K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Colwyn 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

24flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Colwyn

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ColwynDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

8 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

2 households applied for aid $151 aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

4 households applied for aid

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

Around Colwyn

Colwyn and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Colwynmostly inland floodingModerate

Darbymostly inland floodingModerate

Philadelphiamostly inland floodingModerate

Sharon Hillmostly inland floodingVery low

Darbymostly 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. Colwyn covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Colwyn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Colwyn. 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 Colwyn total about $641K 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.