Natural hazards · Doylestown

Doylestown, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Doylestown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1995. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Doylestown?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Doylestown to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Earthquakes11%Tornadoes8%Cold waves6%Heat waves5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Doylestown faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Doylestown flood?

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

12paid claims since 1995

$237Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 2 claims, $94K
Hurricane Ida: 2 claims, $4K
Tropical Storm Allison: 1 claim, $58K

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. Doylestown isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Bucks County.

Disasters that hit Doylestown

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DoylestownDeclared for Bucks County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

257 households applied for aid $377K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

26 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

69 households applied for aid $88K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

3 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

Bucks County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Doylestown

Doylestown and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Doylestownmostly inland floodingLow

Buckinghammostly inland floodingLow

Doylestownmostly 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. Doylestown covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Doylestown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Doylestown. 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 Doylestown total about $2.0M 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.