Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, North Sewickley Township faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Sewickley Township gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns, #711 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). Flood insurance has paid 127 claims here since 1981.
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 stands out about North Sewickley Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What North Sewickley 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 North Sewickley Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 94% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Sewickley Township, and North Sewickley Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #711 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of North Sewickley 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, North Sewickley Township has more expected damage per building than 69% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across North Sewickley Township: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Sewickley Township flood? Yes: 127 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Sewickley Township, from FEMA’s records: 52.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan32 claims · $1.3M
North Sewickley 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: Beaver County.The storms North Sewickley Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Beaver County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Sewickley Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 200443 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Beaver County
- 201016 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms, declared for Beaver County
- 201913 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Beaver County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of North Sewickley Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Sewickley Township archive →North Sewickley Township and its neighbors
North Sewickley Township is 5th of the 7 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 |
| New Sewickley Township | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Daugherty Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Beaver Falls | Bless damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| North Sewickley Township | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 127 |
| Ellwood City | C+more damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 38 |
| Franklin Township | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 298 |
| Frisco | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Hazen | — | 117 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Koppel | — | 759 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Eastvale | — | 151 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 North Sewickley 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 North Sewickley Township
Is North Sewickley Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Sewickley Township has lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #711 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). 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 North Sewickley Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 127 claims in North Sewickley Township since 1981, $3.3M in all, or 52.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 21 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (32).
Is North Sewickley 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 Beaver County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in North Sewickley Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Sewickley 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 North Sewickley Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 32 paid, $1.3M.
Is North Sewickley Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (94%), and North Sewickley Township’s rate for it is higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Sewickley Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Sewickley 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.