Photo: Montgomery County Planning Commission · CC BY-SA 2.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Upper Merion Township than in 67% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Upper Merion Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns, #569 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%). Flood insurance has paid 93 claims here since 1978.
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 Upper Merion Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Upper Merion 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 Merion Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 84% of the building damage FEMA expects in Upper Merion Township, and Upper Merion Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 6% (higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts).
B+ #569 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Upper Merion Township’s residents live in 13 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 Merion Township has more expected damage per building than 55% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $14.1M a year in losses across Upper Merion Township: $10.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Upper Merion Township flood? Sometimes: 93 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Upper Merion Township, from FEMA’s records: 5.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ida12 claims · $1.7M
- Hurricane Irene7 claims · $114K
- Hurricane Isaias7 claims · $1.1M
Upper Merion 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 Merion Township remembers
None of the 23 disasters declared for Montgomery County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Upper Merion Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201819 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 202115 flood claims paidThe year of Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared for Montgomery County
- 19998 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations, 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 Merion Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Upper Merion Township archive →Upper Merion Township and its neighbors
Upper Merion Township is 5th of the 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Providence Township | Aless damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 171 |
| Tredyffrin Township | Aless damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 79 |
| Schuylkill Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 34 |
| Plymouth Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 339 |
| Upper Merion Township | B+less damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | 93 |
| West Norriton Township | B−more damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 642 |
| West Conshohocken | Cmore damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Bridgeport | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 140 |
| King of Prussia | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Swedeland | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Swedesburg | — | 806 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Merion 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 Merion Township
Is Upper Merion Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Upper Merion Township has lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #569 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%) and earthquakes (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Upper Merion Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 93 claims in Upper Merion Township since 1978, $5.4M in all, or 5.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 12 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (12).
Is Upper Merion 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 Merion Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Upper Merion 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 Merion Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 12 paid, $1.7M.
Is Upper Merion Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (84%), and Upper Merion Township’s rate for it is higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Upper Merion Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Upper Merion 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.