Natural hazards · Preston

Preston, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Preston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2010.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Preston?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Preston to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Cold waves8%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Preston faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Preston flood?

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

1paid claims since 2010

$13Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20102026

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

Insurance rates: Wayne County.

Disasters that hit Preston

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into PrestonDeclared for Wayne County only

Wayne County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Preston

Preston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Buckinghammostly inland floodingHigh

Prestonmostly inland floodingLow

Scottmostly inland floodingLow

Mount Pleasantmostly inland floodingLow

Starruccamostly inland floodingLow

Thompsonmostly 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. Preston covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Preston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Preston. 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 Preston total about $1.3M 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.