Natural hazards · State College

State College, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in State College comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is State College?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in State College to be higher than in 1% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Hurricanes9%Tornadoes7%Lightning7%Everything else17%

By hazard

What State College faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 4% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 29 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Lightning

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 State College flood?

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

4paid claims since 1978

$221Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $209K

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

Insurance rates: Centre County.

Disasters that hit State College

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into State CollegeDeclared for Centre County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

72 households applied for aid $116K aid approved

Centre County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around State College

State College and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Collegemostly inland floodingVery low

Fergusonmostly inland floodingVery low

State Collegemostly 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. State College covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to State College’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of State College. 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 State College total about $3.8M 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.