Natural hazards · Hanover

Hanover, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hanover comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2004. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hanover?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hanover to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding55%Hurricanes18%Earthquakes9%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Hanover faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% 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 Hanover flood?

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

3paid claims since 2004

$17Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $3K
Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $11K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: York County.

Disasters that hit Hanover

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HanoverDeclared for York County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

102 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

72 households applied for aid $97K aid approved

York County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Hanover

Hanover and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pennmostly inland floodingVery low

Hanovermostly 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. Hanover covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hanover’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Hanover. 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 Hanover total about $3.3M 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.