Natural hazards · Springfield

Springfield, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Springfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 123 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Springfield?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Springfield to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding48%Earthquakes14%Heat waves10%Tornadoes8%Cold waves7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Springfield faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Springfield flood?

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

123paid claims since 1979

$2.7Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 25 claims, $767K
Hurricane Isaias: 16 claims, $599K
Hurricane Irene: 9 claims, $235K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Delaware County.

Disasters that hit Springfield

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpringfieldDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

49 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

9 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

53 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Delaware County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Springfield

Springfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Upper Darbymostly inland floodingLow

Ridleymostly inland floodingLow

Nether Providencemostly inland floodingVery low

Swarthmoremostly inland floodingVery low

Haverfordmostly inland floodingVery low

Upper Providencemostly inland floodingVery low

Springfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Marplemostly inland floodingVery low

Mortonmostly 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. Springfield covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Springfield’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Springfield. 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 Springfield total about $5.4M 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.