Natural hazards · Phoenixville

Phoenixville, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Phoenixville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Phoenixville?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Phoenixville to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Heat waves6%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Phoenixville faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Phoenixville flood?

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

49paid claims since 1978

$2.1Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 16 claims, $615K
Hurricane Ida: 7 claims, $997K
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $95K

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

Insurance rates: Chester County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

32flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Phoenixville

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PhoenixvilleDeclared for Chester County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

272 households applied for aid $651K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

7 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

45 households applied for aid $53K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

25 households applied for aid $32K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

5 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

2003

Tropical Storms Henri and Isabel and Related Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

Chester County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Phoenixville

Phoenixville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Phoenixvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Upper Providencemostly inland floodingLow

East Pikelandmostly inland floodingLow

Schuylkillmostly 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. Phoenixville covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Phoenixville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Phoenixville. 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 Phoenixville total about $5.8M 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.