Natural hazards · Freemansburg

Freemansburg, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Freemansburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 40 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Freemansburg?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Freemansburg to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Heat waves7%Cold waves6%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Freemansburg faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% 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 Freemansburg flood?

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

40paid claims since 1979

$350Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 24 claims, $212K
Hurricane Ida: 3 claims, $65K
Not a named storm: 2 claims, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Freemansburg 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.

Disasters that hit Freemansburg

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FreemansburgDeclared for Northampton County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

10 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

1 household applied for aid

2011

Hurricane Irene

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

34 households applied for aid $68K aid approved

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

Around Freemansburg

Freemansburg and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Freemansburgmostly inland floodingHigh

Bethlehemmostly 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. Freemansburg covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Freemansburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Freemansburg. 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 Freemansburg total about $743K 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.