Natural hazards · Ferguson

Ferguson, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ferguson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ferguson?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding75%Hurricanes5%Lightning5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Ferguson faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 29 years in the area

Lightning

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong wind

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ferguson flood?

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

7paid claims since 1979

$44Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 3 claims, $15K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Centre County.

Disasters that hit Ferguson

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Centre County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ferguson itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into FergusonDeclared for Centre County only

Centre County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Ferguson

Ferguson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Barreemostly inland floodingModerate

Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate

Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

Harrismostly inland floodingLow

Halfmoonmostly inland floodingVery low

Collegemostly inland floodingVery low

Fergusonmostly inland floodingVery low

Pattonmostly inland floodingVery low

State Collegemostly 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. Ferguson covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ferguson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Ferguson. 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 Ferguson total about $2.2M 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.