Natural hazards · Upper Makefield

Upper Makefield, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Upper Makefield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 300 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Upper Makefield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Upper Makefield to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding81%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Upper Makefield faces

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

Inland flooding

81% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Makefield flood?

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

300paid claims since 1979

$14.3Mpaid to owners

73homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 44 claims, $3.5M
Tropical Storm Lee: 34 claims, $553K
Torrential rain: 20 claims, $1.3M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (30) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Upper Makefield is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Bucks County.

Disasters that hit Upper Makefield

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Upper MakefieldDeclared for Bucks County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

1 household applied for aid $5K aid approved

Bucks County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Upper Makefield

Upper Makefield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hopewellmostly inland floodingModerate

Soleburymostly inland floodingModerate

Upper Makefieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Makefieldmostly inland floodingLow

Wrightstownmostly inland floodingVery low

Newtownmostly 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 Makefield covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Upper Makefield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Upper Makefield. 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 Makefield total about $5.5M 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.