Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Storms, floods and disasters in Little Meadows
Little Meadows isn’t graded for hazard risk: Little Meadows has 239 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2006.
What Little Meadows 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
Hurricanes
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 Little Meadows flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 2006
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Little Meadows, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Lee3 claims · $49K
Little Meadows isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Susquehanna County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Little Meadows
Disasters that paid out in Little Meadows itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Little Meadows), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee37 households applied for aid$175K aid approved3 flood claims paid for it, $49K
- 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides13 households applied for aid$29K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan3 households applied for aid$9K aid approved
Susquehanna County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Little Meadows after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Little Meadows archive →Little Meadows 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apolacon Township | — | 319 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 Little Meadows 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.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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 Little Meadows
Does Little Meadows flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Little Meadows since 2006, $101K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (3).
Is Little Meadows 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 Susquehanna County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Little Meadows?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Little Meadows’ 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 Little Meadows?
By FEMA money that reached Little Meadows, Tropical Storm Lee (2011): 37 households applied for aid, $175K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 3 paid, $49K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Little Meadows.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Little Meadows’ 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.