Natural hazards · Gilberton

Gilberton, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gilberton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gilberton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gilberton to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Cold waves6%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Gilberton faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Gilberton flood?

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

13paid claims since 1979

$304Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

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. Gilberton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Schuylkill County.

Disasters that hit Gilberton

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GilbertonDeclared for Schuylkill County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

58 households applied for aid $290K aid approved

Schuylkill County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Gilberton

Gilberton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Butlermostly inland floodingHigh

Gilbertonmostly inland floodingModerate

West Mahanoymostly 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. Gilberton 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 Gilberton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Gilberton. 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.