Natural hazards · York

York, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in York comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 42 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is York?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in York to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Hurricanes13%Earthquakes8%Everything else15%

By hazard

What York faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 York flood?

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

42paid claims since 1978

$399Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 13 claims, $168K
Hurricane Ida: 3 claims, $8K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 2 claims, $33K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: York County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

14flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit York

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into YorkDeclared for York County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

1,962 households applied for aid $2.0M aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

2,452 households applied for aid $3.4M aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

42 households applied for aid $70K aid approved

York County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around York

York and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Yorkmostly inland floodingHigh

North Yorkmostly inland floodingModerate

Yorkmostly inland floodingLow

West Manchestermostly inland floodingLow

Spring Gardenmostly inland floodingLow

Springettsburymostly inland floodingLow

Manchestermostly inland floodingLow

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. York covers 16 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to York’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of York. 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 York total about $10.2M 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.