Natural hazards · Upland

Upland, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Upland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 218 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Upland?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Upland to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Earthquakes8%Heat waves7%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Upland faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Upland flood?

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

218paid claims since 1978

$6.6Mpaid to owners

33homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 33 claims, $1.4M
Hurricane Irene: 27 claims, $447K
Hurricane Isaias: 6 claims, $555K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (13) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Upland 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

14flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Upland

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UplandDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

15 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

6 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

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

Around Upland

Upland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chestermostly inland floodingHigh

Uplandmostly inland floodingModerate

Brookhavenmostly inland floodingModerate

Parksidemostly inland floodingLow

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

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. Upland covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Upland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Upland. 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 Upland total about $1.1M 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.