Natural hazards · Allentown

Allentown, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Allentown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 310 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Allentown?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Allentown to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding49%Cold waves27%Heat waves7%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Allentown faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Allentown flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Allentown, from FEMA’s records.

310paid claims since 1978

$4.7Mpaid to owners

40homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 52 claims, $273K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 23 claims, $644K
Hurricane Irene: 11 claims, $166K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (14) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Allentown isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lehigh County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Allentown

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Allentown itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Allentown.

Brought FEMA money into AllentownDeclared for Lehigh County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

133 households applied for aid $94K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

69 households applied for aid $119K aid approved

Lehigh County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Allentown

Allentown and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingModerate

Whitehallmostly inland floodingModerate

Allentownmostly inland floodingModerate

Salisburymostly inland floodingLow

South Whitehallmostly inland floodingLow

Emmausmostly inland floodingLow

Hanovermostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Allentown covers 28 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Allentown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Allentown. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Allentown total about $37.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.