Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in West Carroll Township than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Carroll Township gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (83%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2002.
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 West Carroll 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
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
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 West Carroll Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 83% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Carroll Township, and West Carroll Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 89% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 6% (lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts).
A+ among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of West Carroll Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $223K a year in losses across West Carroll Township: $180K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Carroll Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2002
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Carroll Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
West Carroll 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: Cambria County.The storms West Carroll Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Cambria County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Carroll Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20021 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 West Carroll Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Carroll Township archive →West Carroll Township and its neighbors
West Carroll Township is 3rd of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambria Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| East Carroll Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| West Carroll Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Barr Township | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Carrolltown | — | 914 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 West Carroll 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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 West Carroll Township
Is West Carroll Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Carroll Township has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (83%) and tornadoes (6%). 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 West Carroll Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in West Carroll Township since 2002, $681 in all, or 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is West Carroll 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 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 West Carroll Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Carroll Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is West Carroll Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (83%), and West Carroll Township’s rate for it is lower than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Carroll Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Carroll 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.