Natural hazards · Hereford

Hereford, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hereford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1999. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hereford?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hereford to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Hurricanes8%Cold waves5%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Hereford faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Hereford flood?

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

1paid claims since 1999

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $7K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Berks County.

Disasters that hit Hereford

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HerefordDeclared for Berks County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

2 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

Berks County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Hereford

Hereford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Herefordmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Macungiemostly inland floodingLow

Upper Hanovermostly inland floodingLow

Longswampmostly inland floodingLow

Districtmostly inland floodingVery low

Upper Milfordmostly 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. Hereford covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hereford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Hereford. 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 Hereford total about $1.2M 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.