Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in South Fork
South Fork isn’t graded for hazard risk: South Fork has 749 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1981.
What South Fork 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.
Does South Fork flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in South Fork, from FEMA’s records.
South Fork isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cambria County.The storms South Fork remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Cambria County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching South Fork itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19811 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Cambria 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 South Fork after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the South Fork archive →South Fork 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Taylor Township | A−less damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Adams Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Croyle Township | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
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 Fork 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 Fork
Does South Fork flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in South Fork since 1981, $402 in all.
Is South Fork 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 Cambria County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in South Fork?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for South Fork’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in South Fork.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where South Fork’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.