Natural hazards · Franklin

Franklin, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Franklin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 426 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 Franklin?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding77%Tornadoes6%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Franklin faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Franklin flood?

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

426paid claims since 1978

$8.2Mpaid to owners

65homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 64 claims, $2.1M
Tropical Storm Lee: 25 claims, $741K
Hurricane Ida: 2 claims, $127K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (11) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Greene County.

Disasters that hit Franklin

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FranklinDeclared for Greene County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$19K to the Township of Franklin for repairs

Greene County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Franklin

Franklin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Waynemostly inland floodingHigh

Washingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Morganmostly inland floodingHigh

Morrismostly inland floodingHigh

Whiteleymostly inland floodingHigh

Centermostly inland floodingHigh

Jeffersonmostly inland floodingHigh

Franklinmostly 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. Franklin covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Franklin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Franklin. 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 Franklin total about $1.3M 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.