Crawford County, PA

FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data

Population: 83,927 · Cities: Meadville

Relatively Low Riskier than 76% of US counties
Very Low Relatively Low Relatively Moderate Relatively High Very High

Crawford County has experienced 15 federally declared disasters since 1972, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.

Crawford County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, inland flooding, and strong wind, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 36% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.

Past disasters & FEMA designations

A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Crawford County has been designated in 15 declarations since 1972, covering 6 disaster types including flood (4), severe storm (3), hurricane (3).

2002–2026
Year Type Event name
2020 Biological Covid-19 Pandemic
2020 Biological Covid-19
2014 Severe Storm Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
2013 Hurricane Hurricane Sandy
2005 Hurricane Hurricane Katrina
2004 Hurricane Tropical Depression Ivan
2004 Severe Storm Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances
2003 Severe Storm Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
1996 Flood Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
1996 Flood Severe Storms And Flooding

Showing the 10 most recent of 15 total declarations since 1972.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.

Risk by hazard type

Hazard Risk rating Risk score Recorded events Deaths Prop. damage
Wildfire Very Low 36 0 0
Inland Flooding Relatively Moderate 87.2 9 0 $3.2M
Coastal Flooding Not Applicable 0 0
Earthquake Very Low 50.3
Heat Wave Very Low 24.9 0 0
Tornado Relatively Low 52.5 6 0 $874K
Hurricane Relatively Low 67.1 0 0
Hail Relatively Low 58.1 26 0
Strong Wind Relatively High 86.2 0 0
Winter Weather Relatively High 88.9 0 0
Ice Storm Relatively Low 57.7
Cold Wave Very Low 23.1
Lightning Relatively High 83.5 0 0
Drought No Rating 0 0 0
Landslide Very Low 55.9 0 0
Avalanche Not Applicable
Tsunami Not Applicable
Volcanic Activity Not Applicable

Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.

Community vulnerability

Crawford County ranks in the 58th percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.

SVI theme Percentile Vulnerability level
Overall 58th Moderate
Socioeconomic status 54th Moderate
Household characteristics 63rd Moderate
Racial & ethnic minority status 12th Very low
Housing type & transportation 76th High

Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.

Future risk outlook

Wildfire metric National percentile Level
Burn probability 24th Relatively Low
Risk to homes 23rd Relatively Low
Buildings in direct exposure zone 74.7%

NOAA tracked 41 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 25 in 2016–20 vs 16 in 2021–25 (-36% — frequency decreasing).

Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.

Nearby counties

Compare Crawford County with other counties → All Pennsylvania counties →

Frequently asked questions

What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Crawford County?

According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Crawford County, Pennsylvania are winter weather, inland flooding, and strong wind. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.

Has Crawford County received federal disaster declarations?

Yes. Crawford County has received 15 federal disaster declarations since 1972, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (4 declarations).

Has Crawford County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?

No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Crawford County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.

How does Crawford County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?

Among neighboring counties, Trumbull County, OH has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Venango County, PA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Crawford County is rated Relatively Low overall.

How is Crawford County's composite disaster risk index calculated?

Crawford County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Crawford County's composite score of 76 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 76% of US counties.

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