Natural hazards · Media

Media, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Media comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1999. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Media?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Media to be higher than in 1% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding42%Heat waves12%Earthquakes11%Tornadoes10%Cold waves8%Hurricanes7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Media faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 3% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Media flood?

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

7paid claims since 1999

$127Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 3 claims, $70K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $4K

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. Media 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 Media

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MediaDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

87 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

6 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

48 households applied for aid $95K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

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

Around Media

Media and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Nether Providencemostly inland floodingVery low

Upper Providencemostly inland floodingVery low

Mediamostly 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. Media covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Media’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Media. 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 Media total about $1.1M 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.