Photo: Nyttend · Public domainLess hazard damage per building is expected in Oakland Township than in 68% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Oakland Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns, #552 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1979.
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 Oakland 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 Oakland Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 95% of the building damage FEMA expects in Oakland Township, and Oakland Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 63% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #552 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Oakland 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, Oakland Township has more expected damage per building than 53% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $713K a year in losses across Oakland Township: $659K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Oakland Township flood? Sometimes: 18 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Oakland Township, from FEMA’s records: 15.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 81% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Lee2 claims · $75K
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $6K
Oakland 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: Butler County.The storms Oakland Township remembers
None of the 8 disasters declared for Butler County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Oakland Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20064 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19902 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20042 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Butler County
Butler County has had 8 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Oakland Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Oakland Township archive →Oakland Township and its neighbors
Oakland Township is 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Concord Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 28 |
| Oakland Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
| Donegal Township | Bless damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Summit Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 60 |
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 Oakland 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 Oakland Township
Is Oakland Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Oakland Township has lower expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #552 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). 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 Oakland Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 18 claims in Oakland Township since 1979, $350K in all, or 15.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 81% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (2).
Is Oakland 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 Butler County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Oakland Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Oakland 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 Oakland Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 2 paid, $75K.
Is Oakland Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (95%), and Oakland Township’s rate for it is higher than 63% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Oakland Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Oakland 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.