Natural hazards · Highspire

Highspire, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highspire comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 211 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Highspire?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highspire to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding87%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Highspire faces

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

Inland flooding

87% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Highspire flood?

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

211paid claims since 1978

$2.6Mpaid to owners

30homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 87 claims, $931K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 29 claims, $184K
Hurricane Irene: 10 claims, $1.0M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dauphin County.

Disasters that hit Highspire

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HighspireDeclared for Dauphin County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

231 households applied for aid $393K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

35 households applied for aid $59K aid approved

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

Around Highspire

Highspire and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Highspiremostly inland floodingVery high

Steeltonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lower Swataramostly 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. Highspire covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highspire’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Highspire. 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 Highspire total about $1.5M 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.