Natural hazards · Sayre

Sayre, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sayre comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sayre?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sayre to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Lightning6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Sayre faces

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

Inland flooding

84% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lightning

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong wind

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 Sayre flood?

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

9paid claims since 1979

$99Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 2 claims, $80K
Torrential rain: 1 claim, $458

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. Sayre 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Sayre

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SayreDeclared for Bradford County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

163 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

28 households applied for aid $72K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

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

Around Sayre

Sayre and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Athensmostly inland floodingHigh

Sayremostly inland floodingModerate

South Waverlymostly inland floodingModerate

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. Sayre covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sayre’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Sayre. 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 Sayre total about $2.0M 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.