Natural hazards · Coal

Coal, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Coal comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 2006.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Coal?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Coal to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Strong wind5%Hurricanes5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Coal faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Coal flood?

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

19paid claims since 2006

$193Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

20062026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 10 claims, $133K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Northumberland County.

Disasters that hit Coal

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Northumberland County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Coal itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into CoalDeclared for Northumberland County only

Northumberland County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Coal

Coal and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

East Cameronmostly inland floodingHigh

West Cameronmostly inland floodingHigh

Zerbemostly inland floodingHigh

Clevelandmostly inland floodingModerate

Coalmostly inland floodingModerate

Ralphomostly inland floodingModerate

Shamokinmostly inland floodingModerate

Mount Carmelmostly 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. Coal covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Coal’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Coal. 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 Coal total about $3.1M 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.