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Natural hazards · Upper Darby

Upper Darby, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Upper Darby comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 363 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Upper Darby?

30
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Upper Darby to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding53%Earthquakes12%Heat waves11%Cold waves7%Tornadoes6%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Upper Darby faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Heat waves

11% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Upper Darby flood?

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

363paid claims since 1978
$7.3Mpaid to owners
57homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Isaias: 50 claims, $2.4M
  • Tropical Storm Lee: 23 claims, $212K
  • Hurricane Floyd: 16 claims, $98K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Upper Darby 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 Upper Darby

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Upper DarbyDeclared for Delaware County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,021 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved
2011

Tropical Storm Lee

112 households applied for aid $122K aid approved
2011

Hurricane Irene

488 households applied for aid $210K aid approved
2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

38 households applied for aid $69K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

533 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved
Delaware County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.
Around Upper Darby

Upper Darby and the towns around it

Philadelphia: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClifton Heights: Very low, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingLansdowne: Low, mostly inland floodingAldan: Very low, mostly inland floodingYeadon: Low, mostly inland floodingHaverford: Very low, mostly inland floodingRidley: Low, mostly inland floodingMillbourne: Low, mostly inland floodingDarby: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDarby: Very low, mostly inland floodingBensalem: Low, mostly inland floodingLower Merion: Low, mostly inland floodingColwyn: Moderate, mostly inland floodingTinicum: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFolcroft: Very low, mostly inland floodingCamden: High, mostly inland floodingCheltenham: Low, mostly inland floodingPennsauken: Low, mostly inland floodingNether Providence: Very low, mostly inland floodingSwarthmore: Very low, mostly inland floodingMarple: Very low, mostly inland floodingMorton: Very low, mostly inland floodingUpper Providence: Very low, mostly inland floodingCollingdale: Very low, mostly inland floodingRadnor: Very low, mostly inland floodingRidley Park: Very low, mostly inland floodingEddystone: Moderate, mostly inland floodingProspect Park: Low, mostly inland floodingRutledge: Low, mostly inland floodingChester: Low, mostly inland floodingSharon Hill: Very low, mostly inland floodingGlenolden: Very low, mostly inland floodingUpper Darby: Low, mostly inland flooding Upper DarbyPhiladelphiaClifton HeightsSpringfieldLansdowneAldanYeadonHaverfordRidleyMillbourneDarbyDarby
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Darbymostly inland floodingModerate
Philadelphiamostly inland floodingModerate
Upper Darbymostly inland floodingLow
Millbournemostly inland floodingLow
Lansdownemostly inland floodingLow
Ridleymostly inland floodingLow
Yeadonmostly inland floodingLow
Clifton Heightsmostly inland floodingVery low
Haverfordmostly inland floodingVery low
Darbymostly inland floodingVery low
Aldanmostly inland floodingVery low
Springfieldmostly 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. Upper Darby covers 23 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Upper Darby’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Upper Darby. 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 Upper Darby total about $18.3M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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