Natural hazards · Limestone

Limestone, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Limestone comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 103 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Limestone?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Limestone to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Strong wind9%Hurricanes7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Limestone faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningAvalanches

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 Limestone flood?

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

103paid claims since 1979

$1.9Mpaid to owners

11homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 23 claims, $772K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Union County.

Disasters that hit Limestone

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Union County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Limestone itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into LimestoneDeclared for Union County only

Union County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Limestone

Limestone and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mifflinburgmostly inland floodingHigh

West Buffalomostly inland floodingHigh

Lewismostly inland floodingHigh

Limestonemostly inland floodingHigh

New Berlinmostly inland floodingHigh

Unionmostly inland floodingHigh

Buffalomostly inland floodingModerate

Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate

Centermostly inland floodingModerate

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. Limestone covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Limestone’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Limestone. 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 Limestone total about $1.3M 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.