Natural hazards · Lancaster

Lancaster, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lancaster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 81 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 Lancaster?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lancaster to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Earthquakes11%Hurricanes9%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Lancaster 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

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

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 Lancaster flood?

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

81paid claims since 1978

$1.4Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 38 claims, $1.0M
Not a named storm: 4 claims, $35K
Hurricane Floyd: 2 claims, $71K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lancaster County.

Disasters that hit Lancaster

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LancasterDeclared for Lancaster County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

575 households applied for aid $890K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

117 households applied for aid $170K aid approved

Lancaster County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Lancaster

Lancaster and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lancastermostly inland floodingHigh

West Lampetermostly inland floodingModerate

Manheimmostly inland floodingLow

East Lampetermostly 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. Lancaster covers 15 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lancaster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lancaster. 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 Lancaster total about $18.7M 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.