Natural hazards · Morton

Morton, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Morton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1983. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Morton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding46%Heat waves13%Cold waves9%Tornadoes9%Earthquakes8%Strong wind5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Morton faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Morton flood?

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

15paid claims since 1983

$480Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isaias: 3 claims, $390K
Tropical Storm Allison: 2 claims, $9K

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. Morton 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Morton

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MortonDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

26 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

6 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

20 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

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

Around Morton

Morton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ridleymostly inland floodingLow

Springfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Mortonmostly 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. Morton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Morton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Morton. 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 Morton total about $463K 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.