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Pennsylvania natural disaster risk

Ratings for all 67 counties, the federal disaster record and flood insurance across the state.

53major disasters since 1953 (26th most)

$4.1Bexpected losses a year

0.7%of homes with flood insurance

Photo: Jeffrey M. Vinocur, CC BY 2.5

Pennsylvania has had 53 major federal disaster declarations for natural events since 1953. FEMA expects about $4.1 billion a year in losses from natural hazards across the state. Inland flooding is the costliest hazard in 67 of its 67 counties. 1 is rated Very High overall. About 0.7% of homes carry federal flood insurance, and the program has paid $1.4 billion on 75,803 claims here since 1978.

Very High1counties

High4counties

Moderate16counties

Low38counties

Highest overall risk

1Philadelphia CountyVery High

2Allegheny CountyHigh

3Montgomery CountyHigh

4Lancaster CountyHigh

5Bucks CountyHigh

Lowest risk (50,000+ people)

1Venango CountyLow

2Wayne CountyLow

3Carbon CountyLow

4Columbia CountyLow

5Indiana CountyLow

Top hazards

Inland floodingtop risk in 67 counties

Largest counties

Philadelphia County

1,602,305 people

Very High Inland flooding

Allegheny County

1,249,907 people

High Inland flooding

Montgomery County

856,020 people

High Inland flooding

Bucks County

646,216 people

High Inland flooding

Delaware County

576,366 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Lancaster County

552,633 people

High Inland flooding

Chester County

534,152 people

Moderate Inland flooding

York County

456,310 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Berks County

428,624 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Lehigh County

373,891 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Westmoreland County

354,424 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Luzerne County

325,461 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Cities in Pennsylvania

All 25 cities ›

Philadelphia1,579,706 Pittsburgh304,759 Allentown125,976 Reading95,242 Erie93,850 Bethlehem77,956 Scranton76,033 Lancaster57,719 Levittown50,926 Harrisburg50,287 York44,938 Wilkes-Barre44,423 Altoona43,196 State College41,050 Norristown35,893

All 67 counties

Name	People	Overall risk	Top hazard	Declarations	Homes insured
Adams County	103,797	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.7%
Allegheny County	1,249,907	High	Inland flooding	16	0.4%
Armstrong County	65,530	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.7%
Beaver County	168,155	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.3%
Bedford County	47,550	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.9%
Berks County	428,624	Moderate	Inland flooding	21	0.5%
Blair County	122,666	Low	Inland flooding	16	1.1%
Bradford County	59,840	Low	Inland flooding	19	1.6%
Bucks County	646,216	High	Inland flooding	25	1.2%
Butler County	193,593	Low	Inland flooding	9	0.5%
Cambria County	133,467	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.6%
Cameron County	4,535	Very Low	Inland flooding	9	1.7%
Carbon County	64,728	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.5%
Centre County	158,157	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.5%
Chester County	534,152	Moderate	Inland flooding	24	0.6%
Clarion County	37,191	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.2%
Clearfield County	80,509	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.6%
Clinton County	37,434	Low	Inland flooding	13	2.2%
Columbia County	64,676	Low	Inland flooding	18	1.9%
Crawford County	83,927	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.7%
Cumberland County	259,125	Moderate	Inland flooding	17	0.7%
Dauphin County	286,115	Moderate	Inland flooding	20	1.2%
Delaware County	576,366	Moderate	Inland flooding	22	0.7%
Elk County	30,973	Low	Inland flooding	8	0.4%
Erie County	270,695	Moderate	Inland flooding	9	0.3%
Fayette County	128,759	Moderate	Inland flooding	16	0.4%
Forest County	6,973	Very Low	Inland flooding	10	0.3%
Franklin County	155,896	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.4%
Fulton County	14,556	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	0.3%
Greene County	35,904	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.7%
Huntingdon County	44,088	Low	Inland flooding	16	1.3%
Indiana County	83,148	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.5%
Jefferson County	44,472	Low	Inland flooding	12	0.4%
Juniata County	23,482	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.6%
Lackawanna County	215,724	Moderate	Inland flooding	20	1.2%
Lancaster County	552,633	High	Inland flooding	20	0.4%
Lawrence County	86,035	Low	Inland flooding	10	0.4%
Lebanon County	143,188	Low	Inland flooding	17	0.4%
Lehigh County	373,891	Moderate	Inland flooding	15	0.4%
Luzerne County	325,461	Moderate	Inland flooding	21	3.3%
Lycoming County	114,105	Low	Inland flooding	19	1.7%
McKean County	40,379	Low	Inland flooding	11	1.1%
Mercer County	110,623	Low	Inland flooding	11	0.1%
Mifflin County	46,143	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.8%
Monroe County	168,181	Moderate	Inland flooding	19	0.5%
Montgomery County	856,020	High	Inland flooding	27	0.9%
Montour County	18,104	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	1%
Northampton County	312,822	Moderate	Inland flooding	22	0.6%
Northumberland County	91,636	Low	Inland flooding	17	1%
Perry County	45,809	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.9%
Philadelphia County	1,602,305	Very High	Inland flooding	23	0.3%
Pike County	58,432	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.4%
Potter County	16,396	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	1.3%
Schuylkill County	142,966	Moderate	Inland flooding	22	1%
Snyder County	39,723	Low	Inland flooding	15	1.4%
Somerset County	74,099	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.9%
Sullivan County	5,840	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	1%
Susquehanna County	38,411	Low	Inland flooding	22	1.1%
Tioga County	41,034	Low	Inland flooding	18	1.3%
Union County	42,665	Low	Inland flooding	16	2%
Venango County	50,453	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.4%
Warren County	38,587	Low	Inland flooding	8	0.7%
Washington County	209,274	Moderate	Inland flooding	12	0.5%
Wayne County	51,146	Low	Inland flooding	23	0.5%
Westmoreland County	354,424	Moderate	Inland flooding	18	0.5%
Wyoming County	26,048	Low	Inland flooding	25	1.7%
York County	456,310	Moderate	Inland flooding	19	0.4%

Linked names have a full page. Overall risk from the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); declarations are federal disaster and emergency declarations for natural events since 1953 (OpenFEMA); homes insured is the share with NFIP flood policies.