Natural hazards · West Salem

West Salem, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Salem comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2003.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Salem?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Salem to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding88%Everything else12%

By hazard

What West Salem faces

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

Inland flooding

88% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Salem flood?

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

3paid claims since 2003

$33Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20032026

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 Salem isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Mercer County.

Disasters that hit West Salem

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into West SalemDeclared for Mercer County only

Mercer County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around West Salem

West Salem and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Greenvillemostly inland floodingHigh

West Salemmostly inland floodingModerate

Greenemostly inland floodingModerate

Hempfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Sugar Grovemostly inland floodingModerate

Vernonmostly inland floodingVery low

Kinsmanmostly 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 Salem covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Salem’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Salem. 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 Salem total about $2.0M 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.