Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in West Salem Township as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Salem Township gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns, #824 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2003.
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 Salem 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 Salem Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 93% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Salem Township, and West Salem Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #824 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of West Salem Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, West Salem Township has more expected damage per building than 79% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across West Salem Township: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Salem Township flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2003
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Salem 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 Salem 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: Mercer County.The storms West Salem Township remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Mercer County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Salem Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20031 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Mercer County
- 20111 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20191 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Mercer County has had 10 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 Salem Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Salem Township archive →West Salem Township and its neighbors
West Salem Township is 5th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinsman Township | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Vernon Township | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Hempfield Township | Bless damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 173 |
| Greene Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | — |
| West Salem Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Greenville | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Sugar Grove Township | — | 825 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 Salem 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 Salem Township
Is West Salem Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Salem Township has higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #824 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). 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 Salem Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in West Salem Township since 2003, $33K in all, or 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is West Salem 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 Mercer County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Salem Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Salem Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is West Salem Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (93%), and West Salem Township’s rate for it is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Salem Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Salem 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.