Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0On FEMA’s figures, York Township faces less hazard damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, York Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns, #355 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%), then hurricanes (20%). Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 1978.
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 stands out about York Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What York 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 York Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in York Township, and York Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 69% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 20% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #355 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns (21,298).
York Township’s residents live in 8 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, York Township has less expected damage per building than 66% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.1M a year in losses across York Township: $4.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does York Township flood? Sometimes: 34 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in York Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Lee5 claims · $80K
- Hurricane Sandy3 claims · $14K
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $9K
York 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: York County.The storms York Township remembers
None of the 17 disasters declared for York County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching York Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 197911 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20115 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Storm Lee, declared for York County
- 19783 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
York County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of York Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the York Township archive →York Township and its neighbors
York Township is 3rd of the 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lion | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Springfield Township | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | — |
| York Township | A−less damage than 83% | river and rain flooding | 34 |
| Springettsbury Township | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 36 |
| Windsor Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| North Codorus Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Spring Garden Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 22 |
| North Hopewell Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Queens Gate | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Tyler Run | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Valley View | — | 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 York 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 York Township
Is York Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, York Township has lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #355 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%) and hurricanes (20%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does York Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 34 claims in York Township since 1978, $210K in all, or 2.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 4 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (5).
Is York 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 York County, 30% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in York Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for York 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 York Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 5 paid, $80K.
Is York Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and York Township’s rate for it is lower than 69% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in York Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where York 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.