Natural hazards · Coplay

Coplay, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Coplay comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Coplay?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Coplay to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding48%Cold waves29%Heat waves7%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Coplay faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

29% 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 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 Coplay flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Coplay.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Coplay 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.

Disasters that hit Coplay

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CoplayDeclared for Lehigh County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

7 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

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

Around Coplay

Coplay and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Northamptonmostly inland floodingModerate

Whitehallmostly inland floodingModerate

Coplaymostly inland floodingModerate

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. Coplay covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Coplay’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Coplay. 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 Coplay total about $927K 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.