Natural hazards · Hazleton

Hazleton, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hazleton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1981. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hazleton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hazleton to be higher than in 3% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves24%Tornadoes8%Heat waves7%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Hazleton faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Hazleton flood?

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

12paid claims since 1981

$189Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $30K

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

Insurance rates: Luzerne County.

Disasters that hit Hazleton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HazletonDeclared for Luzerne County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

15 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

8 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

46 households applied for aid $138K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $756 aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

28 households applied for aid $27K aid approved

Luzerne County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Hazleton

Hazleton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Hazletonmostly inland floodingVery low

Hazletonmostly inland floodingVery low

Hazlemostly inland floodingVery low

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. Hazleton covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hazleton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hazleton. 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 Hazleton total about $3.6M 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.