Natural hazards · Montrose

Montrose, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montrose comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2006. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montrose?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montrose to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Hurricanes12%Tornadoes11%Cold waves6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Montrose faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 25 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 78 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Montrose flood?

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

2paid claims since 2006

$18Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20062026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Montrose isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Susquehanna County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Montrose

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontroseDeclared for Susquehanna County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

24 households applied for aid $52K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

104 households applied for aid $198K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

28 households applied for aid $47K aid approved

Susquehanna County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Montrose covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Montrose’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Montrose. 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 Montrose 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.