Natural hazards · Norwood

Norwood, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Norwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2011. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Norwood?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Norwood to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding55%Heat waves11%Earthquakes8%Cold waves8%Tornadoes7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Norwood faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% 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

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Norwood flood?

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

3paid claims since 2011

$102Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20112026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $7K
Hurricane Isaias: 1 claim, $95K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Norwood 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 Norwood

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NorwoodDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

34 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

1 household applied for aid

2011

Hurricane Irene

6 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

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

Around Norwood

Norwood and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tinicummostly inland floodingModerate

Prospect Parkmostly inland floodingLow

Norwoodmostly inland floodingLow

Folcroftmostly inland floodingVery low

Glenoldenmostly 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. Norwood covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Norwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Norwood. 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 Norwood total about $1.2M 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.