Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA puts South Beaver Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 62% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Beaver Township gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns, #633 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1996.
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 South Beaver 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 South Beaver Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 93% of the building damage FEMA expects in South Beaver Township, and South Beaver Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts.
B #633 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of South Beaver 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, South Beaver Township has more expected damage per building than 61% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $505K a year in losses across South Beaver Township: $461K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does South Beaver Township flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1996
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in South Beaver Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
South Beaver 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: Beaver County.The storms South Beaver Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Beaver County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching South Beaver Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20042 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Beaver County
- 19961 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, Severe Storms, declared for Beaver County
Beaver County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of South Beaver Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the South Beaver Township archive →South Beaver Township and its neighbors
South Beaver Township is 4th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Township | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Ohioville | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Middleton Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| South Beaver Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Darlington Township | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 23 |
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 South Beaver 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 South Beaver Township
Is South Beaver Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, South Beaver Township has lower expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #633 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). 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 South Beaver Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in South Beaver Township since 1996, $46K in all, or 2.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is South Beaver 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 Beaver County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in South Beaver Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for South Beaver Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is South Beaver Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (93%), and South Beaver Township’s rate for it is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Beaver Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where South Beaver 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.