Natural hazards · Oley

Oley, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oley?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oley to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Drought11%Hurricanes9%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Oley faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

11% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Oley flood?

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

14paid claims since 1979

$243Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isaias: 4 claims, $81K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $4K

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

Insurance rates: Berks County.

Disasters that hit Oley

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OleyDeclared for Berks County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

3 households applied for aid $318 aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Berks County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Oley

Oley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Amitymostly inland floodingLow

Oleymostly inland floodingLow

Earlmostly inland floodingLow

Exetermostly inland floodingLow

Pikemostly inland floodingVery low

Rocklandmostly inland floodingVery low

Alsacemostly inland floodingVery low

Ruscombmanormostly 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. Oley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Oley. 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 Oley total about $1.9M 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.