Natural hazards · Gettysburg

Gettysburg, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gettysburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 35 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gettysburg?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gettysburg to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding49%Hurricanes17%Earthquakes13%Tornadoes7%Strong wind6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Gettysburg faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Gettysburg flood?

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

35paid claims since 1979

$806Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

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

Insurance rates: Adams County.

Disasters that hit Gettysburg

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GettysburgDeclared for Adams County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

66 households applied for aid $87K aid approved

Adams County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Gettysburg

Gettysburg and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cumberlandmostly inland floodingLow

Strabanmostly inland floodingVery low

Gettysburgmostly 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. Gettysburg covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gettysburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Gettysburg. 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 Gettysburg total about $1.4M 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.