FEMA declarations
64
Below median
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Pennsylvania Natural Disasters
Pennsylvania's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 64 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by flood, with $713.4M in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 19,427 recorded weather events resulting in 136 fatalities, a toll that informs where the state directs disaster-preparedness resources.
- 64
- FEMA declarations
- 19,427
- NOAA storm events
- 136
- Storm fatalities
- $713.4M
- Property + crop damage
The Pennsylvania risk picture
5 of the 67 counties FEMA scores, 7%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Pennsylvania has 54 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 514 injuries statewide.
- 7%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 64
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $713.4M
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 75,691
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
84%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
19,427
Observed severe-weather records
How does Pennsylvania compare?
Pennsylvania vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
64 42nd percentile higher than 42% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Pennsylvania county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
67.4 45th percentile higher than 45% of 67 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-25
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
Pennsylvania sits at the 38th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 76th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes Pennsylvania's record?
FEMA declaration types in Pennsylvania
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Flood
Flood
26 declarations
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
17 declarations
- Hurricane 9
Hurricane
9 declarations
- Snowstorm 5
Snowstorm
5 declarations
- Biological 2
Biological
2 declarations
- Tornado 2
Tornado
2 declarations
- Tropical Storm 1
Tropical Storm
1 declarations
- Severe Ice Storm 1
Severe Ice Storm
1 declarations
What this shows Flood leads Pennsylvania's FEMA declaration mix with 26 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in Pennsylvania
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2019 (2,395 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
65 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Pennsylvania · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
11/30
64 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.7x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Very High
22/25
19427 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (1.8x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Moderate
12/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (1.2x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
9 different disaster types declared in Pennsylvania
What does Pennsylvania's hazard record show?
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 67Pennsylvania counties have filed 75,691 NFIP claims totaling $1.4B, or an average of $18.9K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $2.7B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Pennsylvania recorded 19,427 individual storm events, causing 136 fatalities and 514 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $713.4M. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (9,976 events), Flash Flood (2,288 events), Winter Weather (1,670 events). Across the 67counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 5 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 67.4/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
FEMA disaster declarations
Pennsylvania (PA) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 64 FEMA declaration records, including 54 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Flood, followed by Severe Storm (17), Hurricane (9), Snowstorm (5). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Disaster Types in Pennsylvania
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Flood
40.6%
26 declarations
Severe Storm
26.6%
17 declarations
Hurricane
14.1%
9 declarations
Snowstorm
7.8%
5 declarations
Biological
3.1%
2 declarations
Tornado
3.1%
2 declarations
Tropical Storm
1.6%
1 declarations
Severe Ice Storm
1.6%
1 declarations
Drought
1.6%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for Pennsylvania (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 9,976 | 18 | 114 | $115.5M |
| Flash Flood | 2,288 | 23 | 8 | $463.2M |
| Winter Weather | 1,670 | 23 | 268 | $566.0K |
| Hail | 1,400 | 0 | 0 | $2.6M |
| Winter Storm | 881 | 14 | 17 | $2.9M |
| Flood | 552 | 4 | 0 | $15.0M |
| High Wind | 323 | 2 | 17 | $4.9M |
| Tornado | 265 | 1 | 46 | $45.6M |
| Heavy Snow | 248 | 0 | 4 | $1.1M |
| Dense Fog | 225 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 219 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Strong Wind | 218 | 6 | 1 | $1.5M |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 193 | 9 | 0 | $250.0K |
| Heavy Rain | 181 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Excessive Heat | 149 | 15 | 7 | $0 |
| Lake-Effect Snow | 143 | 0 | 3 | $35.0M |
| Drought | 128 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Lightning | 89 | 7 | 20 | $2.0M |
| Ice Storm | 59 | 0 | 0 | $50.0K |
| Heat | 48 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,249 | 13 | 36 | $12.0M |
| 2024 | 1,981 | 4 | 30 | $58.0M |
| 2023 | 1,624 | 14 | 24 | $27.2M |
| 2022 | 1,527 | 10 | 54 | $8.0M |
| 2021 | 2,250 | 9 | 16 | $394.5M |
| 2020 | 1,978 | 10 | 27 | $13.2M |
| 2019 | 2,395 | 6 | 74 | $31.5M |
| 2018 | 1,556 | 5 | 16 | $30.6M |
| 2017 | 1,499 | 8 | 12 | $45.7M |
| 2016 | 898 | 34 | 90 | $60.6M |
| 2015 | 1,470 | 23 | 135 | $20.5M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 64 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 64 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
64 unique disaster declarations in Pennsylvania.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4815 | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-11 |
| 4618 | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR | Hurricane | 2021-09-10 |
| 4506 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-30 |
| 3441 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4408 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2018-11-27 |
| 4292 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-12-02 |
| 4267 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2016-03-23 |
| 3367 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2014-02-06 |
| 4149 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-10-01 |
| 4099 | HURRICANE SANDY | DR | Hurricane | 2013-01-10 |
| 3356 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-29 |
| 4030 | TROPICAL STORM LEE | DR | Flood | 2011-09-12 |
| 3340 | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM LEE | EM | Flood | 2011-09-08 |
| 4025 | HURRICANE IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-09-03 |
| 3339 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-29 |
| 4003 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-07-13 |
| 1898 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMS | DR | Snowstorm | 2010-04-16 |
| 1684 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-02-23 |
| 1649 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-06-30 |
| 3235 | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-10 |
| 1587 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-04-14 |
| 1555 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION FRANCES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-09-19 |
| 1557 | TROPICAL DEPRESSION IVAN | DR | Hurricane | 2004-09-19 |
| 1538 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-08-06 |
| 1497 | TROPICAL STORMS HENRI AND ISABEL AND RELATED SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2003-09-26 |
| 1485 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2003-08-23 |
| 3180 | SNOW | EM | Severe Storm | 2003-03-14 |
| 1383 | TROPICAL STORM ALLISON | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-06-21 |
| 1298 | TROPICAL DEPRESSION DENNIS PA | DR | Flood | 1999-09-22 |
| 1294 | HURRICANE FLOYD MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATIONS | DR | Hurricane | 1999-09-18 |
| 1289 | PA - FLOODING 8/20/99 | DR | Severe Storm | 1999-09-01 |
| 1219 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES,AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-06-08 |
| 1150 | SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, HIGH WINDS,RAIN, FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1996-12-23 |
| 1138 | FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION FRAN | DR | Flood | 1996-09-13 |
| 1130 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Flood | 1996-07-26 |
| 1120 | FLOODING, SEVERE STORMS | DR | Flood | 1996-06-18 |
| 1093 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1996-01-21 |
| 1085 | BLIZZARD OF 96 | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-13 |
| 1015 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 1994-03-10 |
| 3105 | SEVERE SNOWFALL & WINTER STORM | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-16 |
| 766 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-06-05 |
| 754 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1985-11-09 |
| 745 | HURRICANE GLORIA | DR | Hurricane | 1985-10-08 |
| 737 | SEVERE STORMS, HIGH WINDS & TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1985-06-03 |
| 721 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1984-08-27 |
| 641 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1981-06-15 |
| 629 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1980-08-19 |
| 3081 | SEVERE STORMS & TORNADOES | EM | Tornado | 1980-06-13 |
| 537 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1977-07-21 |
| 3026 | SNOWSTORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 1977-01-29 |
Showing 50 of 64 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for Pennsylvania counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
67.4/100
High Risk Counties
5
of 67 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$2.7B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$2.7B EAL
#2
Heat Wave
$364.8M EAL
#3
Cold Wave
$255.6M EAL
#4
Hurricane
$170.3M EAL
#5
Tornado
$152.8M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across Pennsylvania from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
75,691
Total Paid
$1.4B
Avg Per Claim
$18.9K
Counties With Claims
67
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in Pennsylvania
67 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montgomery County | 29 | Relatively High | 21 |
| 2 | Wyoming County | 27 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 3 | Bucks County | 27 | Relatively High | 20 |
| 4 | Chester County | 26 | Relatively Moderate | 18 |
| 5 | Wayne County | 25 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 6 | Philadelphia County | 25 | Very High | 17 |
| 7 | Sullivan County | 25 | Very Low | 19 |
| 8 | Northampton County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 9 | Delaware County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 16 |
| 10 | Schuylkill County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 11 | Susquehanna County | 24 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 12 | Berks County | 23 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 13 | Luzerne County | 23 | Relatively Moderate | 16 |
| 14 | Lackawanna County | 22 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 15 | Dauphin County | 22 | Relatively Moderate | 16 |
| 16 | Lancaster County | 22 | Relatively High | 15 |
| 17 | Bradford County | 21 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 18 | Somerset County | 21 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 19 | York County | 21 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 20 | Bedford County | 21 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 21 | Lycoming County | 21 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 22 | Monroe County | 21 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 23 | Columbia County | 20 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 24 | Tioga County | 20 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 25 | Adams County | 20 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 26 | Westmoreland County | 20 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 27 | Juniata County | 20 | Very Low | 14 |
| 28 | Franklin County | 20 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 29 | Perry County | 20 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 30 | Cumberland County | 19 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 31 | Lebanon County | 19 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 32 | Northumberland County | 19 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 33 | Huntingdon County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 34 | Fayette County | 18 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 35 | Union County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 36 | Allegheny County | 18 | Relatively High | 13 |
| 37 | Carbon County | 18 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 38 | Blair County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 39 | Cambria County | 18 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 40 | Indiana County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 41 | Pike County | 18 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 42 | Fulton County | 17 | Very Low | 11 |
| 43 | Snyder County | 17 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 44 | Clearfield County | 17 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 45 | Montour County | 17 | Very Low | 11 |
| 46 | Lehigh County | 17 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
| 47 | Armstrong County | 17 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 48 | Mifflin County | 17 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 49 | Beaver County | 15 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 50 | Centre County | 15 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 51 | Venango County | 15 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 52 | Greene County | 15 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 53 | Clinton County | 15 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 54 | Crawford County | 15 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 55 | Potter County | 14 | Very Low | 9 |
| 56 | Washington County | 14 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 57 | Clarion County | 14 | Very Low | 9 |
| 58 | Jefferson County | 14 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 59 | Mercer County | 13 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 60 | McKean County | 13 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 61 | Forest County | 12 | Very Low | 8 |
| 62 | Lawrence County | 12 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 63 | Erie County | 11 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 64 | Butler County | 11 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 65 | Cameron County | 11 | Very Low | 7 |
| 66 | Warren County | 10 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 67 | Elk County | 10 | Relatively Low | 6 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in Pennsylvania are Philadelphia (Very High), Allegheny (Relatively High), Montgomery (Relatively High), Lancaster (Relatively High), Bucks (Relatively High). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 67 counties in Pennsylvania are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Pennsylvania: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. Pennsylvania: 67.4 across 67 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. Pennsylvania: 64. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.
Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is affected by flood, severe storm, hurricane, snowstorm. Topping the list is Flood, based on 64 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Pennsylvania had?
Pennsylvania has received 64 FEMA disaster declarations, including 54 major disaster declarations. These declarations span multiple disaster types including Flood (26), Severe Storm (17), Hurricane (9).
What severe weather events are most common in Pennsylvania?
The most common severe weather events in Pennsylvania include thunderstorm wind (9,976 events), flash flood (2,288 events), winter weather (1,670 events). Between 2015 and 2025, NOAA recorded these events causing 136 fatalities and $713.4M in property and crop damage.
How active is Pennsylvania's federal disaster declaration record?
Pennsylvania has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 64 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 136 fatalities and 514 injuries. Combined NOAA-listed property and crop losses total $713.4M.
How many flood insurance claims has Pennsylvania had?
Pennsylvania has 75,691 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $1.4B total paid out. Claims average $18.9K, with 67 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in Pennsylvania have the most disaster declarations?
Among 67 counties in Pennsylvania, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Montgomery (29 declarations), Wyoming (27 declarations), Bucks (27 declarations). Breaking the declarations down by county reveals patterns a statewide total can mask.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for Pennsylvania
Montgomery alone accounts for 45% of Pennsylvania's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 67 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Montgomery and Wyoming carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how Pennsylvania ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.