Natural hazards · Harrison

Harrison, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Harrison comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 28 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Harrison?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Harrison to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding90%Cold waves5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Harrison faces

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

Inland flooding

90% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Harrison flood?

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

28paid claims since 1978

$428Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 9 claims, $117K
Hurricane Debby: 7 claims, $234K
Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $17K

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

Insurance rates: Allegheny County.

Disasters that hit Harrison

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into HarrisonDeclared for Allegheny County only

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

Around Harrison

Harrison and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tarentummostly inland floodingVery high

Brackenridgemostly inland floodingVery high

Fawnmostly inland floodingHigh

Harrisonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lower Burrellmostly inland floodingLow

Buffalomostly inland floodingLow

Alleghenymostly 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. Harrison covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Harrison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Harrison. 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 Harrison total about $5.1M 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.