Westmoreland County, PA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Westmoreland County has experienced 20 federally declared disasters since 1971, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Westmoreland County's highest-rated hazards are lightning, inland flooding, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 34% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (11th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Westmoreland County has been designated in 20 declarations since 1971, covering 6 disaster types including flood (6), snowstorm (5), hurricane (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2013 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2010 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004 | Hurricane | Tropical Depression Ivan |
| 2004 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances |
| 2003 | Severe Storm | Snow |
| 1996 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 20 total declarations since 1971.
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 | 54 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 93.8 | 173 | 1 | $3.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 73.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 59.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 55.7 | 17 | 0 | $805K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 69 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 85.8 | 67 | 0 | $1.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 70.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 62.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 14.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.6 | 3 | 2 | $55K |
| Drought | Very Low | 25.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 91.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 44 | — | — | — |
| 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
Westmoreland County ranks in the 11th percentile (Very low) 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 | 11th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 10th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 11th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 19th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 37th | Low |
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 | 26th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 27th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 45.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 260 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 157 in 2016–20 vs 103 in 2021–25 (-34% — 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
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Westmoreland County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania are lightning, inland flooding, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Westmoreland County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Westmoreland County has received 20 federal disaster declarations since 1971, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (6 declarations).
Has Westmoreland County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Westmoreland County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Westmoreland County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Allegheny County, PA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Indiana County, PA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Westmoreland County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Westmoreland County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Westmoreland 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. Westmoreland County's composite score of 88 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 88% of US counties.