Palmyra is calmer than 85% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palmyra comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Palmyra’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Palmyra?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 2,077 of the 2,558 Pennsylvania towns we cover.
Palmyra covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Does Palmyra flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Palmyra, from FEMA’s records.
- The Not a named storm3 claims · $4K
Palmyra isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lebanon County.What Palmyra faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Earthquakes
Strong wind
Cold waves
3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Palmyra
Disasters that paid out in Palmyra itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Palmyra) and its biggest flood years.
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee382 households applied for aid$810K aid approved
- 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides6 households applied for aid$24K aid approved
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan55 households applied for aid$132K aid approved
Lebanon County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Old photos of Palmyra after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Palmyra archive →Get ready for what Palmyra actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Palmyra and its neighbors
Palmyra has the lowest rating of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Londonderry | Low | inland flooding | 9 |
| Derry | Low | inland flooding | 181 |
| Palmyra | Very low | inland flooding | 3 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in January–February
The month each of Lebanon County’s 16 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Palmyra’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Palmyra.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Palmyra, expected losses total about $1.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Palmyra.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.