Storms, floods and disasters in Modena
Modena isn’t graded for hazard risk: Modena has 442 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2014.
What Modena 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
Earthquakes
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 Modena flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Modena, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Ida3 claims · $151K
- The Mid-spring storms2 claims · $71K
Modena isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Chester County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Modena
Disasters that paid out in Modena itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Modena), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida14 households applied for aid$13K aid approved3 flood claims paid for it, $151K
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee2 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
Chester County has had 21 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 Modena after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Modena archive →Modena 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Fallowfield Township | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| South Coatesville | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
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 Modena 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Modena
Does Modena flood?
Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in Modena since 2014, $379K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (3).
Is Modena 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 Chester County, 40% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Modena?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Modena’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 Modena?
By FEMA money that reached Modena, Remnants of Hurricane Ida (2021): 14 households applied for aid, $13K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 3 paid, $151K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Modena.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Modena’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.