Natural hazards · McHenry

McHenry, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in McHenry comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is McHenry?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in McHenry to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding94%Everything else6%

By hazard

What McHenry faces

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

Inland flooding

94% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% 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 McHenry flood?

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

34paid claims since 1979

$237Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 8 claims, $76K
Hurricane Debby: 2 claims, $14K

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. McHenry 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 McHenry

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into McHenryDeclared for Lycoming County only

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

Around McHenry

McHenry and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chapmanmostly inland floodingVery high

McHenrymostly inland floodingVery high

Brownmostly inland floodingVery high

Cummingsmostly inland floodingVery high

Gallaghermostly inland floodingHigh

Gruganmostly inland floodingHigh

Pinemostly 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. McHenry covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to McHenry’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of McHenry. 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 McHenry total about $1.7M 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.