On FEMA’s figures, West Perry Township faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Perry Township gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1999.
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 Perry 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
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 Perry Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Perry Township, and West Perry Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 5% (higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts).
B− lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of West Perry Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $373K a year in losses across West Perry Township: $299K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Perry Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1999
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Perry Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
West Perry 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: Snyder County.The storms West Perry Township remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Snyder County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Perry Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19991 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Dennis Pa, declared for Snyder County
Snyder County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of West Perry Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Perry Township archive →West Perry Township and its neighbors
West Perry Township is 2nd of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Township | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| West Perry Township | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Franklin Township | B−less damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 50 |
| Fayette Township | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Monroe Township | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Spring Township | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| West Beaver Township | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Richfield | — | 374 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Beaver Township | — | 525 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 Perry 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.
- 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 Perry Township
Is West Perry Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Perry Township has lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%) and hurricanes (5%). 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 Perry Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in West Perry Township since 1999, $6K in all, or 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is West Perry 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 Snyder County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Perry Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Perry Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is West Perry Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and West Perry Township’s rate for it is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Perry Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Perry 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.