Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0More hazard damage per building is expected in Selinsgrove than in 70% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Selinsgrove gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns, #914 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (88%). Flood insurance has paid 337 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 stands out about Selinsgrove’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Selinsgrove 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 Selinsgrove’s grade
River and rain flooding is 88% of the building damage FEMA expects in Selinsgrove, and Selinsgrove’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts.
C #914 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Selinsgrove’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, Selinsgrove has more expected damage per building than 88% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.7M a year in losses across Selinsgrove: $2.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Selinsgrove flood? Yes: 337 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Selinsgrove, from FEMA’s records: 192.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Lee106 claims · $3.3M
- Tropical Storm Ivan91 claims · $1.3M
Selinsgrove is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Snyder County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Selinsgrove
Disasters that paid out in Selinsgrove itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Selinsgrove), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee184 households applied for aid$392K aid approved106 flood claims paid for it, $3.3M
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan115 households applied for aid$261K aid approved91 flood claims paid for it, $1.3M
Snyder County has had 13 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 Selinsgrove after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Selinsgrove archive →Selinsgrove and its neighbors
Selinsgrove is 3rd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Township | C+more damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Lower Augusta Township | C+more damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Selinsgrove | Cmore damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 337 |
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 Selinsgrove 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.
- Selinsgrove residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Selinsgrove
Is Selinsgrove at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Selinsgrove has higher expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk, #914 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (88%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Selinsgrove flood?
Flood insurance has paid 337 claims in Selinsgrove since 1979, $5.9M in all, or 192.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 76 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (106).
Is Selinsgrove 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 Snyder County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Selinsgrove?
Selinsgrove is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Selinsgrove?
By FEMA money that reached Selinsgrove, Tropical Storm Lee (2011): 184 households applied for aid, $392K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 106 paid, $3.3M.
Is Selinsgrove at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (88%), and Selinsgrove’s rate for it is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Selinsgrove.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Selinsgrove’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.