Natural hazards · Middlesex

Middlesex, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Middlesex comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1984.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Middlesex?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Middlesex to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes13%Tornadoes5%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Middlesex faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 73 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Middlesex flood?

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

7paid claims since 1984

$24Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19842026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 2 claims, $10K

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

Insurance rates: Cumberland County.

Disasters that hit Middlesex

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into MiddlesexDeclared for Cumberland County only

Cumberland County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Middlesex

Middlesex and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ryemostly inland floodingHigh

Carrollmostly inland floodingModerate

Silver Springmostly inland floodingModerate

North Middletonmostly inland floodingLow

Monroemostly inland floodingLow

South Middletonmostly inland floodingLow

Middlesexmostly 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. Middlesex covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Middlesex’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Middlesex. 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 Middlesex total about $1.8M 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.