Knipe-Johnson Farm · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Upper Gwynedd Township faces less hazard damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Upper Gwynedd Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns, #380 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (83%). Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1982.
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 Upper Gwynedd 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
Earthquakes
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 Upper Gwynedd Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 83% of the building damage FEMA expects in Upper Gwynedd Township, and Upper Gwynedd Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 6% (higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #380 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Upper Gwynedd Township’s residents live in 4 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, Upper Gwynedd Township has less expected damage per building than 63% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.0M a year in losses across Upper Gwynedd Township: $4.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Upper Gwynedd Township flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Upper Gwynedd Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 59% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Isaias4 claims · $77K
- Hurricane Irene3 claims · $279K
- Hurricane Ida2 claims · $44K
Upper Gwynedd 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: Montgomery County.The storms Upper Gwynedd Township remembers
None of the 23 disasters declared for Montgomery County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Upper Gwynedd Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20204 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20043 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Montgomery County
- 20113 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Storm Lee, declared for Montgomery County
Montgomery County has had 23 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Upper Gwynedd Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Upper Gwynedd Township archive →Upper Gwynedd Township and its neighbors
Upper Gwynedd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lansdale | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Worcester Township | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Lower Gwynedd Township | A−less damage than 83% | river and rain flooding | 38 |
| Upper Gwynedd Township | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 16 |
| Towamencin Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 30 |
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 Upper Gwynedd 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Upper Gwynedd Township
Is Upper Gwynedd Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Upper Gwynedd Township has lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #380 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (83%) and earthquakes (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Upper Gwynedd Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in Upper Gwynedd Township since 1982, $521K in all, or 2.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 59% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Isaias (4).
Is Upper Gwynedd 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 Montgomery County, 47% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Upper Gwynedd Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Upper Gwynedd 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 Upper Gwynedd Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Isaias: 4 paid, $77K.
Is Upper Gwynedd Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (83%), and Upper Gwynedd Township’s rate for it is lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Upper Gwynedd Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Upper Gwynedd 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.