Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Ross Township than in 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ross Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, #407 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%). Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 2004.
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 Ross 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
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.
What’s behind Ross Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 84% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ross Township, and Ross Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 8% (higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #407 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Ross 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, Ross Township has less expected damage per building than 61% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.6M a year in losses across Ross Township: $993K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Ross Township flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 2004
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ross Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 58% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Isaias4 claims · $164K
- Tropical Storm Ivan2 claims · $13K
Ross 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: Monroe County.The storms Ross Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Monroe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ross Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20204 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20042 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Monroe County
- 20052 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Monroe County
Monroe County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Ross Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ross Township archive →Ross Township and its neighbors
Ross Township is 2nd of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield Township | Aless damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Ross Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Chestnuthill Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 20 |
| Bushkill Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Hamilton Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 30 |
| Eldred Township | B−more damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 33 |
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 Ross 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.
- 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 Ross Township
Is Ross Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ross Township has lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #407 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%) and hurricanes (8%). 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 Ross Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in Ross Township since 2004, $228K in all, or 4.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Isaias (4).
Is Ross 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 Monroe 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 Ross Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ross 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 Ross Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Isaias: 4 paid, $164K.
Is Ross Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (84%), and Ross Township’s rate for it is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ross Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ross 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.