Natural hazards · Orwell

Orwell, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Orwell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 2011.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Orwell?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Orwell to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Orwell faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Orwell flood?

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

12paid claims since 2011

$149Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

20112026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 2 claims, $61K

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

Insurance rates: Bradford County.

Disasters that hit Orwell

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Bradford County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Orwell itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into OrwellDeclared for Bradford County only

Bradford County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Orwell

Orwell and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Romemostly inland floodingVery high

Windhammostly inland floodingVery high

Orwellmostly inland floodingHigh

Warrenmostly inland floodingHigh

Pikemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Orwell is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Orwell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Orwell. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.