Natural hazards · Windber

Windber, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Windber comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1983. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Windber?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Windber to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding86%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Windber faces

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

Inland flooding

86% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% 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 Windber flood?

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

23paid claims since 1983

$163Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $13K

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

Insurance rates: Somerset County.

Disasters that hit Windber

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WindberDeclared for Somerset County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

5 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

Somerset County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Windber

Windber and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Windbermostly inland floodingModerate

Paintmostly 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. Windber covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Windber’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Windber. 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 Windber total about $1.1M 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.