Natural hazards · Easton

Easton, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Easton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 233 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Easton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Easton to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Heat waves6%Cold waves5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Easton faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% 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 Easton flood?

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

233paid claims since 1978

$11.4Mpaid to owners

45homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 39 claims, $2.0M
Tropical Storm Lee: 13 claims, $143K
Not a named storm: 7 claims, $14K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (11) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Easton 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

5homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Easton

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EastonDeclared for Northampton County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

180 households applied for aid $106K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

23 households applied for aid $30K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

83 households applied for aid $111K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

128 households applied for aid $162K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

178 households applied for aid $305K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

407 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

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

Around Easton

Easton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Phillipsburgmostly inland floodingVery high

West Eastonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lopatcongmostly inland floodingHigh

Eastonmostly inland floodingHigh

Forksmostly inland floodingModerate

Wilsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Williamsmostly inland floodingModerate

Glendonmostly inland floodingModerate

Palmermostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Sauconmostly inland floodingLow

Bethlehemmostly 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. Easton covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Easton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Easton. 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 Easton total about $8.4M 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.