Natural hazards · Ephrata

Ephrata, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ephrata comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 78 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ephrata?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding68%Hurricanes11%Earthquakes8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Ephrata faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Ephrata flood?

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

78paid claims since 1978

$2.6Mpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 31 claims, $1.8M
Hurricane Floyd: 6 claims, $18K
Hurricane Ida: 4 claims, $38K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lancaster County.

Disasters that hit Ephrata

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EphrataDeclared for Lancaster County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

173 households applied for aid $492K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

7 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

1 household applied for aid

Lancaster County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Ephrata

Ephrata and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ephratamostly inland floodingHigh

Ephratamostly inland floodingModerate

Akronmostly inland floodingLow

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. Ephrata covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ephrata’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Ephrata. 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 Ephrata total about $6.1M 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.