Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA expects more hazard damage per building in New Beaver than in 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, New Beaver gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1994.
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 New Beaver 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 New Beaver’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in New Beaver, and New Beaver’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
C− higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of New Beaver’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $482K a year in losses across New Beaver: $454K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does New Beaver flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1994
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in New Beaver, from FEMA’s records: 6.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 65% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
New Beaver isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lawrence County.The storms New Beaver remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Lawrence County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching New Beaver itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19941 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20071 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20081 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Lawrence County has had 9 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 New Beaver after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the New Beaver archive →New Beaver and its neighbors
New Beaver is 5th of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Beaver | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| North Sewickley Township | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 127 |
| Little Beaver Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Wayne Township | Cmore damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| New Beaver | C−more damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Wampum | — | 502 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 New Beaver 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 New Beaver
Is New Beaver at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, New Beaver has higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). 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 New Beaver flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in New Beaver since 1994, $22K in all, or 6.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 65% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is New Beaver 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 Lawrence County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in New Beaver?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for New Beaver’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is New Beaver at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and New Beaver’s rate for it is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Beaver.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where New Beaver’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.