Somerset is calmer than 88% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Somerset comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1980. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Somerset’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Somerset?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 2,175 of the 2,558 Pennsylvania towns we cover.
Somerset covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
What Somerset faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Does Somerset flood? Sometimes: 14 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Somerset, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $5K
Somerset isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Somerset County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Somerset
Disasters that paid out in Somerset itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Somerset) and its biggest flood years.
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan8 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
Somerset County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Old photos of Somerset after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Somerset archive →Get ready for what Somerset 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.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
Most disasters here begin in January–February
The month each of Somerset County’s 18 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 Somerset’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Somerset.
- 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 Somerset, expected losses total about $1.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Somerset.
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.