Natural hazards · Brookhaven

Brookhaven, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brookhaven comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 53 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brookhaven?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brookhaven to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Heat waves8%Earthquakes6%Tornadoes6%Cold waves5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Brookhaven faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Brookhaven flood?

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

53paid claims since 1978

$848Kpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Floyd: 18 claims, $342K
Hurricane Isaias: 5 claims, $103K
Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $44K

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

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Brookhaven is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Delaware County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

43flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Brookhaven

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrookhavenDeclared for Delaware County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

251 households applied for aid $202K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

12 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

112 households applied for aid $137K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

9 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Delaware County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Brookhaven

Brookhaven and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chestermostly inland floodingHigh

Uplandmostly inland floodingModerate

Brookhavenmostly inland floodingModerate

Parksidemostly inland floodingLow

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

Rose Valleymostly inland floodingLow

Nether Providencemostly inland floodingVery low

Astonmostly inland floodingVery low

Middletownmostly 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. Brookhaven covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brookhaven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Brookhaven. 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 Brookhaven total about $2.3M 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.