Natural hazards · Cornwall

Cornwall, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cornwall comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cornwall?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cornwall to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Hurricanes11%Tornadoes7%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Cornwall 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

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Cornwall flood?

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

8paid claims since 1978

$202Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $304
Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $99K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lebanon County.

Disasters that hit Cornwall

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CornwallDeclared for Lebanon County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

8 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

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

Around Cornwall

Cornwall and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North Cornwallmostly inland floodingModerate

Pennmostly inland floodingModerate

Cornwallmostly inland floodingLow

West Cornwallmostly inland floodingLow

South Lebanonmostly 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. Cornwall covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cornwall’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Cornwall. 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 Cornwall total about $1.4M 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.