Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli · CC BY 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in Lewis Township
Lewis Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lewis Township has 988 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 217 claims here since 1979.
What Lewis 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.
Does Lewis Township flood? Yes: 217 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lewis Township, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Lee40 claims · $1.4M
- Tropical Storm Ivan27 claims · $398K
- Hurricane Debby5 claims · $177K
Lewis 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: Lycoming County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lewis Township
Disasters that paid out in Lewis Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Lewis Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Tropical Storm Debby$713K to Lewis Township for repairs5 flood claims paid for it, $177K
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$976K to Lewis Township for repairs9 flood claims paid that year
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee$33K to Lewis Township for repairs40 flood claims paid for it, $1.4M
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan$54K to Lewis Township for repairs27 flood claims paid for it, $398K
Lycoming County has had 17 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 Lewis Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lewis Township archive →Lewis Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hepburn Township | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 225 |
| Lycoming Township | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 237 |
| McIntyre Township | — | 406 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Cogan House Township | — | 826 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Gamble Township | — | 804 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Cascade Township | — | 345 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 Lewis 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 Lewis Township
Does Lewis Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 217 claims in Lewis Township since 1979, $4.2M in all. 30 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (40).
Is Lewis 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 Lycoming County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lewis Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lewis Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Lewis Township?
By FEMA money that reached Lewis Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2016): $976K to Lewis Township for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 40 paid, $1.4M.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lewis Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lewis 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.