Natural hazards · West Reading

West Reading, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Reading comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Reading?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Reading to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding45%Earthquakes18%Hurricanes11%Cold waves7%Tornadoes7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What West Reading faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Reading flood?

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

16paid claims since 1979

$791Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $658

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Berks County.

Disasters that hit West Reading

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in West Reading itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Borough of West Reading.

Brought FEMA money into West ReadingDeclared for Berks County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

3 households applied for aid

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Berks County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around West Reading

West Reading and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Readingmostly inland floodingLow

Wyomissingmostly inland floodingLow

West Readingmostly inland floodingLow

Cumrumostly 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 Reading covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Reading’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of West Reading. 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 Reading total about $1.3M 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.