Milton’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Milton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 378 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Milton’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Milton flood? Yes: 378 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Milton, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan117 claims · $1.8M
- Tropical Storm Lee58 claims · $642K
- Hurricane Floyd1 claim · $2K
Milton is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Northumberland County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Milton
Disasters that paid out in Milton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Milton) and its biggest flood years.
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee177 households applied for aid$532K aid approved64 flood claims paid that year
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan167 households applied for aid$541K aid approved117 flood claims paid that year
- 1996118 flood claims paidThe most in any one year on record
Northumberland County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Old photos of Milton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Milton archive →How exposed is Milton?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 2,166 of the 2,558 Pennsylvania towns we cover.
Milton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
What Milton faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Get ready for what Milton actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
- Milton residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Milton and its neighbors
Milton ranks 4th calmest of 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Deer | High | inland flooding | 64 |
| Milton | High | inland flooding | 378 |
| West Chillisquaque | High | inland flooding | 155 |
| Turbot | High | inland flooding | 108 |
| Kelly | High | inland flooding | 17 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in September–October
The month each of Northumberland County’s 16 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Milton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Milton.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Milton, expected losses total about $3.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Milton.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.