Storms, floods and disasters in Port Royal
Port Royal isn’t graded for hazard risk: Port Royal has 740 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1983.
What Port Royal 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
Hurricanes
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 Port Royal flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Port Royal, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Ivan5 claims · $44K
Port Royal isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Juniata County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Port Royal
Disasters that paid out in Port Royal itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Port Royal), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan14 households applied for aid$34K aid approved5 flood claims paid for it, $44K
Juniata County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Port Royal after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Port Royal archive →Port Royal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milford Township | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Turbett Township | — | 920 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 Port Royal 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.
- 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.
- 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 Port Royal
Does Port Royal flood?
Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in Port Royal since 1983, $90K in all. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (5).
Is Port Royal 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 Juniata County, 7% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Port Royal?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Port Royal’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 Port Royal?
By FEMA money that reached Port Royal, Tropical Depression Ivan (2004): 14 households applied for aid, $34K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 5 paid, $44K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Port Royal.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Port Royal’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.