Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, West Mead Township faces less hazard damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Mead Township gets an A+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #92 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2022.
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 Mead 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
Strong wind
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 Mead Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 84% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Mead Township, and West Mead Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 80% of U.S. census tracts. Winter storms add 2%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ #92 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
West Mead Township’s residents live in 2 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, West Mead Township has less expected damage per building than 91% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $832K a year in losses across West Mead Township: $728K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Mead Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2022
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Mead Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 92% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
West Mead 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: Crawford County.The storms West Mead Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Crawford County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Mead Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20221 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Crawford County has had 12 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 West Mead Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Mead Township archive →West Mead Township and its neighbors
West Mead Township is 2nd of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Mead Township | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| West Mead Township | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Hayfield Township | Aless damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Meadville | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 42 |
| Vernon Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| Woodcock Township | B−more damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Union Township | — | 818 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| East Fairfield Township | — | 880 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Kerrtown | — | 100 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 Mead 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Mead Township
Is West Mead Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Mead Township has lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #92 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%) and strong wind (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does West Mead Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in West Mead Township since 2022, $1K in all, or 0.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 92% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is West Mead 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 Crawford County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Mead Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Mead Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is West Mead Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (84%), and West Mead Township’s rate for it is lower than 80% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Mead Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Mead 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.