Natural hazards · Lewis

Lewis, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lewis comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 217 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lewis?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding90%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Lewis faces

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

Inland flooding

90% 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 windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Lewis flood?

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

217paid claims since 1979

$4.2Mpaid to owners

30homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 40 claims, $1.4M
Tropical Storm Ivan: 27 claims, $398K
Hurricane Debby: 5 claims, $177K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (8) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lycoming County.

Disasters that hit Lewis

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LewisDeclared for Lycoming County only

2024

Tropical Storm Debby

$713K to the Township of Lewis for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$976K to the Township of Lewis for repairs

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

$33K to the Township of Lewis for repairs

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

$54K to the Township of Lewis for repairs

Lycoming County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Lewis

Lewis and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lewismostly inland floodingVery high

Hepburnmostly inland floodingVery high

Lycomingmostly inland floodingVery high

Gamblemostly inland floodingHigh

Cascademostly inland floodingHigh

McIntyremostly inland floodingHigh

Cogan Housemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Lewis covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lewis’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lewis. 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 Lewis total about $2.8M 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.