Natural hazards · McDonald

McDonald, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in McDonald comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1980.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is McDonald?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in McDonald to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding91%Everything else9%

By hazard

What McDonald faces

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

Inland flooding

91% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 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 McDonald flood?

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

29paid claims since 1980

$408Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 5 claims, $50K
Hurricane Ida: 4 claims, $16K

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. McDonald isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit McDonald

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into McDonaldDeclared for Washington County only

Washington County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around McDonald

McDonald and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

McDonaldmostly inland floodingModerate

Robinsonmostly inland floodingLow

South Fayettemostly inland floodingVery low

Cecilmostly inland floodingVery low

North Fayettemostly 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. McDonald covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to McDonald’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of McDonald. 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 McDonald total about $443K 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.