Natural hazards · Towanda

Towanda, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Towanda comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 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 Towanda?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Towanda to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding88%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Towanda faces

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

Inland flooding

88% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Towanda flood?

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

12paid claims since 1979

$670Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 6 claims, $663K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Towanda 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

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Towanda

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TowandaDeclared for Bradford County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

144 households applied for aid $430K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

33 households applied for aid $69K aid approved

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

Around Towanda

Towanda and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Towandamostly inland floodingHigh

North Towandamostly inland floodingHigh

Wysoxmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Towanda covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Towanda’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Towanda. 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 Towanda total about $1.5M 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.