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A+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in North Wales · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect less hazard damage per building than North Wales, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Wales gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #37 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (73%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2004.

River and rain flooding 73%Earthquakes 9%Hurricanes 8%

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

among the lowestof U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#37 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania
Hazard risk
A+#37 of 1,037
in Pennsylvania · among the lowest of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
73% of expected building damage
Flood claims
2
paid since 2004 · $15K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
5
of 23 declared for Montgomery County
By hazard

What North Wales 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

73%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 92% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 58% of U.S. census tracts

Hurricanes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Tornadoes

7%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 50% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Winter storms Lightning Hail Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingWildfireAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 16% of North Wales’ expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind North Wales’ grade

River and rain flooding is 73% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Wales, and North Wales’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 92% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 9% (higher than 58% of U.S. census tracts).

Where North Wales sits
North Wales
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A+ #37 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of North Wales’ residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding73%Earthquakes9%Hurricanes8%Everything else10%

The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, North Wales has less expected damage per building than 97% of Pennsylvania towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $756K a year in losses across North Wales: $424K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of North Wales’ 3,426 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does North Wales flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2004

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Wales, from FEMA’s records: 1.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 69% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2004: 1 claim2005: 0 claims2006: 1 claim2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims20042006
20042026
2
paid claims since 2004
$15K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$8K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

North Wales isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to North Wales

Disasters that paid out in North Wales itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of North Wales), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida107 households applied for aid$123K aid approved
  2. 2011Tropical Storm Lee5 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
  3. 2011Hurricane Irene47 households applied for aid$129K aid approved
  4. 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides5 households applied for aid$8K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  5. 2004Tropical Depression Ivan4 households applied for aid$7K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in North WalesMontgomery County only

Montgomery County has had 23 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of North Wales after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the North Wales archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what North Wales faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in North Wales

Is North Wales at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Wales has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #37 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (73%) and earthquakes (9%). 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 Wales flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in North Wales since 2004, $15K in all, or 1.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 69% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.

Is North Wales 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 Montgomery County, 47% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in North Wales?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Wales’ 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 Wales?

By FEMA money that reached North Wales, Hurricane Irene (2011): 47 households applied for aid, $129K approved.

Is North Wales at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (73%), and North Wales’ rate for it is lower than 92% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Wales.

Town Square →
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Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Wales’ 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.