Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in West Cornwall Township than in 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Cornwall Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%), then hurricanes (13%). Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1983.
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 Cornwall 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
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
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 Cornwall Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 75% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Cornwall Township, and West Cornwall Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 13% (higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts).
A− lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of West Cornwall Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $623K a year in losses across West Cornwall Township: $478K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Cornwall Township flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Cornwall Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Lee1 claim · $99K
West Cornwall 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: Lebanon County.The storms West Cornwall Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Lebanon County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Cornwall Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19832 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20111 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Storm Lee, declared for Lebanon County
- 20131 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Lebanon 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 Cornwall Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Cornwall Township archive →West Cornwall Township and its neighbors
West Cornwall Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 5 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Cornwall Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Cornwall | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| South Londonderry Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| South Annville Township | Bless damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| North Cornwall Township | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 43 |
| Mount Gretna | — | 208 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Mount Gretna Heights | — | 325 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Quentin | — | 720 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 Cornwall 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Cornwall Township
Is West Cornwall Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Cornwall Township has lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%) and hurricanes (13%). 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 Cornwall Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in West Cornwall Township since 1983, $196K in all, or 4.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (1).
Is West Cornwall 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 Lebanon County, 29% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Cornwall Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Cornwall 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 West Cornwall Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 1 paid, $99K.
Is West Cornwall Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (75%), and West Cornwall Township’s rate for it is lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Cornwall Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Cornwall 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.