Natural hazards · Philipsburg

Philipsburg, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Philipsburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Philipsburg?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Philipsburg to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding88%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Philipsburg faces

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

Inland flooding

88% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once 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 Philipsburg flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978

$29Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $11K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Philipsburg isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Centre County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

13flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Philipsburg

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PhilipsburgDeclared for Centre County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

76 households applied for aid $202K aid approved

Centre County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Philipsburg

Philipsburg and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Philipsburgmostly inland floodingModerate

Chester Hillmostly inland floodingLow

Decaturmostly inland floodingLow

Rushmostly inland floodingLow

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. Philipsburg covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Philipsburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Philipsburg. 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 Philipsburg total about $807K 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.