Photo: Pubdog · Public domainMore hazard damage per building is expected in Bradford Township than in 62% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bradford Township gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns, #856 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1979.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Bradford Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Bradford Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in Bradford Township, and Bradford Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #856 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Bradford Township’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, Bradford Township has more expected damage per building than 83% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.6M a year in losses across Bradford Township: $1.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Bradford Township flood? Sometimes: 31 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bradford Township, from FEMA’s records: 18.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 83% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Bradford Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: McKean County.The storms Bradford Township remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for McKean County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Bradford Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19796 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19965 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for McKean County
- 19834 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
McKean County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Bradford Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Bradford Township archive →Bradford Township and its neighbors
Bradford Township is 3rd of the 5 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foster Township | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 36 |
| Lafayette Township | B−more damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Bradford Township | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 31 |
| Keating Township | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Bradford | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 43 |
| Lewis Run | — | 570 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| University of Pittsburgh Bradford | — | 974 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Bradford Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Bradford Township
Is Bradford Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bradford Township has higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #856 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Bradford Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 31 claims in Bradford Township since 1979, $161K in all, or 18.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 83% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 4 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Bradford Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In McKean County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Bradford Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bradford Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Bradford Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and Bradford Township’s rate for it is higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bradford Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bradford Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.