Natural hazards · Lansdowne

Lansdowne, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lansdowne comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1999. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lansdowne?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lansdowne to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes11%Heat waves10%Cold waves7%Tornadoes7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Lansdowne 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

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% 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 Lansdowne flood?

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

8paid claims since 1999

$63Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $16K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $32K

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. Lansdowne 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 Lansdowne

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LansdowneDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

681 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

77 households applied for aid $73K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

484 households applied for aid $320K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

35 households applied for aid $55K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

86 households applied for aid $63K aid approved

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

Around Lansdowne

Lansdowne and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Upper Darbymostly inland floodingLow

Lansdownemostly inland floodingLow

Yeadonmostly inland floodingLow

Clifton Heightsmostly 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. Lansdowne covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lansdowne’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Lansdowne. 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 Lansdowne total about $2.5M 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.