Natural hazards · West Franklin

West Franklin, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Franklin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2004.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Franklin?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Franklin to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding90%Everything else11%

By hazard

What West Franklin faces

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

Inland flooding

90% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 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 West Franklin flood?

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

7paid claims since 2004

$266Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 2 claims, $20K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Armstrong County.

Disasters that hit West Franklin

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into West FranklinDeclared for Armstrong County only

Armstrong County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around West Franklin

West Franklin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

East Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate

North Buffalomostly inland floodingModerate

Clearfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

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 Franklin covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Franklin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Franklin. 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 Franklin total about $705K 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.