Natural hazards · Glenolden

Glenolden, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Glenolden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Glenolden?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Glenolden to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding49%Heat waves12%Earthquakes11%Cold waves8%Tornadoes7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Glenolden 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

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Glenolden flood?

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

10paid claims since 1979

$71Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 2 claims, $24K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $1K
Hurricane Isaias: 1 claim, $10K

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

Insurance rates: Delaware County.

Disasters that hit Glenolden

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GlenoldenDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

134 households applied for aid $204K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

13 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

50 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

1 household applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $467 aid approved

Delaware County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Glenolden

Glenolden and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Norwoodmostly inland floodingLow

Ridleymostly inland floodingLow

Folcroftmostly inland floodingVery low

Glenoldenmostly inland floodingVery low

Darbymostly 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. Glenolden covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Glenolden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Glenolden. 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 Glenolden 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.