Natural hazards · Darby

Darby, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Darby comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 338 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 Darby?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Darby to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding57%Earthquakes13%Heat waves10%Cold waves6%Tornadoes6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Darby faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% 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

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

WildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Darby flood?

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

338paid claims since 1978

$9.9Mpaid to owners

38homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 55 claims, $3.3M
Hurricane Irene: 33 claims, $907K
Hurricane Isaias: 20 claims, $1.5M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (19) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Darby 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

15flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

14flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Darby

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DarbyDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

891 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

84 households applied for aid $68K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

678 households applied for aid $614K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

47 households applied for aid $110K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

132 households applied for aid $192K aid approved

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

Around Darby

Darby and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Colwynmostly inland floodingModerate

Darbymostly inland floodingModerate

Philadelphiamostly inland floodingModerate

Upper Darbymostly inland floodingLow

Yeadonmostly inland floodingLow

Collingdalemostly 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. Darby covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Darby’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Darby. 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 Darby total about $2.5M 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.