Natural hazards · Dawson

Dawson, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dawson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1996.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dawson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dawson to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding91%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Dawson faces

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

Inland flooding

91% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Dawson flood?

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

6paid claims since 1996

$37Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fayette County.

Disasters that hit Dawson

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into DawsonDeclared for Fayette County only

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

Around Dawson

Dawson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dawsonmostly inland floodingHigh

Dunbarmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Tyronemostly 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. Dawson is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.