Safest places to live in Pennsylvania from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Pennsylvania is in Cameron County, Clarion County, Clinton County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Allegheny County, driven by riverine flooding. This page ranks every Pennsylvania county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Pennsylvania
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron County | Low | none rated high |
| Clarion County | Low | none rated high |
| Clinton County | Low | none rated high |
| Elk County | Low | none rated high |
| Fulton County | Low | none rated high |
| Juniata County | Low | none rated high |
| Montour County | Low | none rated high |
| Perry County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Pennsylvania
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny County | High | riverine flooding |
| Philadelphia County | High | riverine flooding |
| Berks County | Elevated | tornado |
| Bucks County | Elevated | tornado |
| Chester County | Elevated | riverine flooding |
Dominant perils in Pennsylvania
Across Pennsylvania, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are riverine flooding, tornado, landslide. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any Pennsylvania address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.