Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, West Pottsgrove 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 Pottsgrove Township gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns, #811 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2005.
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 Pottsgrove 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 West Pottsgrove Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Pottsgrove Township, and West Pottsgrove Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #811 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns (21,298).
West Pottsgrove 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 Pottsgrove Township has more expected damage per building than 78% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.5M a year in losses across West Pottsgrove Township: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Pottsgrove Township flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Pottsgrove Township, from FEMA’s records: 3.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 53% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
West Pottsgrove 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 West Pottsgrove Township remembers
None of the 23 disasters declared for Montgomery County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Pottsgrove Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20053 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20062 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides, declared for Montgomery County
- 20181 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
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 West Pottsgrove Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Pottsgrove Township archive →West Pottsgrove Township and its neighbors
West Pottsgrove Township is 4th of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Pottsgrove Township | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| North Coventry Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 181 |
| Douglass Township | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 47 |
| West Pottsgrove Township | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Pottstown | C+more damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 191 |
| Stowe | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| South Pottstown | — | 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 West Pottsgrove 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 West Pottsgrove Township
Is West Pottsgrove Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Pottsgrove Township has higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #811 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does West Pottsgrove Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in West Pottsgrove Township since 2005, $41K in all, or 3.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 53% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is West Pottsgrove 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 West Pottsgrove Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Pottsgrove Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is West Pottsgrove Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and West Pottsgrove Township’s rate for it is higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Pottsgrove Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Pottsgrove 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.