Natural hazards · Bangor

Bangor, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bangor comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 47 claims here since 1983. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bangor?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bangor to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Heat waves6%Cold waves5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Bangor faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bangor flood?

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

47paid claims since 1983

$1.4Mpaid to owners

10homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 9 claims, $233K
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $16K
Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Northampton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2homes raised above flood level

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Bangor

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BangorDeclared for Northampton County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

20 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

6 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

16 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

57 households applied for aid $94K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

84 households applied for aid $197K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

133 households applied for aid $347K aid approved

Northampton County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Bangor

Bangor and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bangormostly inland floodingHigh

East Bangormostly inland floodingLow

Washingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Rosetomostly inland floodingLow

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. Bangor covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bangor’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Bangor. 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 Bangor total about $2.1M 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.