Natural hazards · West Earl

West Earl, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Earl comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 28 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Earl?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Earl to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding78%Hurricanes9%Everything else13%

By hazard

What West Earl faces

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

Inland flooding

78% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 West Earl flood?

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

28paid claims since 1978

$394Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 4 claims, $9K
Tropical Storm Lee: 4 claims, $185K
Hurricane Floyd: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. West Earl isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lancaster County.

Disasters that hit West Earl

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Lancaster County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Earl itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into West EarlDeclared for Lancaster County only

Lancaster County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around West Earl

West Earl and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Earlmostly inland floodingHigh

Ephratamostly inland floodingHigh

Manheimmostly inland floodingLow

Akronmostly inland floodingLow

Warwickmostly inland floodingLow

Earlmostly inland floodingLow

Upper Leacockmostly 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. West Earl covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Earl’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Earl. 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 West Earl total about $4.0M 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.