John H. Nelson House · Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Fallowfield Township than in 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fallowfield Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, #394 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). Flood insurance has paid 5 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 Fallowfield 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 Fallowfield Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 92% of the building damage FEMA expects in Fallowfield Township, and Fallowfield Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 50% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #394 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Fallowfield 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, Fallowfield Township has less expected damage per building than 62% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $803K a year in losses across Fallowfield Township: $736K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Fallowfield Township flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fallowfield Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 55% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Fallowfield 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: Washington County.The storms Fallowfield Township remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Fallowfield Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19791 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20021 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20031 flood claims paidThe year of Snow, declared for Washington County
Washington County has had 11 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 Fallowfield Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fallowfield Township archive →Fallowfield Township and its neighbors
Fallowfield Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 9 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallowfield Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Somerset Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Nottingham Township | B+less damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Carroll Township | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 53 |
| Monessen | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Bentleyville | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| West Pike Run Township | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| North Charleroi | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 40 |
| Charleroi | C−more damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 30 |
| Van Voorhis | — | 516 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Twilight | — | 221 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 Fallowfield 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 Fallowfield Township
Is Fallowfield Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fallowfield Township has lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #394 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). 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 Fallowfield Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Fallowfield Township since 1979, $17K in all, or 2.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 55% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Fallowfield 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 Washington County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Fallowfield Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fallowfield Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Fallowfield Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (92%), and Fallowfield Township’s rate for it is lower than 50% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fallowfield Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Fallowfield 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.