Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA puts Burrell Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Burrell Township gets an A+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #112 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1978.
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 Burrell 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 Burrell Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in Burrell Township, and Burrell Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ #112 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Burrell Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, Burrell Township has less expected damage per building than 89% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $699K a year in losses across Burrell Township: $587K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Burrell Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Burrell Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 77% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Burrell 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: Indiana County.The storms Burrell Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Indiana County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Burrell Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19781 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19971 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Indiana County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Burrell Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Burrell Township archive →Burrell Township and its neighbors
Burrell Township is 2nd of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derry Township | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Burrell Township | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Center Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| West Wheatfield Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Brush Valley Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Black Lick Township | C+more damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Fairfield Township | C+more damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
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 Burrell 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 Burrell Township
Is Burrell Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Burrell Township has lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #112 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Burrell Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Burrell Township since 1978, $7K in all, or 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 77% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Burrell 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 Indiana County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Burrell Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Burrell Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Burrell Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and Burrell Township’s rate for it is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Burrell Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Burrell 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.