Bergy Bridge Historic District · Photo: Smallbones · CC0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Upper Salford Township than in 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Upper Salford Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, #405 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2021.
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 Salford 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 Upper Salford Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in Upper Salford Township, and Upper Salford Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #405 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Upper Salford 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, Upper Salford Township has less expected damage per building than 61% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $996K a year in losses across Upper Salford Township: $664K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Upper Salford Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2021
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Upper Salford Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 82% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ida1 claim · $122K
Upper Salford 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 Salford Township remembers
None of the 23 disasters declared for Montgomery County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Upper Salford Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20211 flood claims paidThe year of Remnants of Hurricane Ida, 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 Salford Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Upper Salford Township archive →Upper Salford Township and its neighbors
Upper Salford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skippack Township | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | 97 |
| Salford Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Franconia Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Lower Salford Township | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | 16 |
| Upper Salford Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Perkiomen Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 104 |
| Marlborough Township | B−more damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 52 |
| Lower Frederick Township | B−more damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 55 |
| Woxall | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Spring Mount | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 Salford 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 Upper Salford Township
Is Upper Salford Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Upper Salford Township has lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #405 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). 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 Upper Salford Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Upper Salford Township since 2021, $122K in all, or 0.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 82% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (1).
Is Upper Salford 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 Salford Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Upper Salford 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 Salford Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 1 paid, $122K.
Is Upper Salford Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and Upper Salford Township’s rate for it is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Upper Salford Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Upper Salford 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.