Natural hazards · West Penn

West Penn, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Penn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1996.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Penn?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Penn to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes8%Cold waves5%Everything else17%

By hazard

What West Penn faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Penn flood?

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

4paid claims since 1996

$49Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 2 claims, $35K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Schuylkill County.

Disasters that hit West Penn

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into West PennDeclared for Schuylkill County only

Schuylkill County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around West Penn

West Penn and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tamaquamostly inland floodingHigh

Heidelbergmostly inland floodingModerate

West Pennmostly inland floodingModerate

East Brunswickmostly inland floodingModerate

East Pennmostly inland floodingLow

Lynnmostly inland floodingLow

Mahoningmostly inland floodingLow

Walkermostly 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. West Penn covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Penn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Penn. 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 Penn total about $1.9M 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.