Irwin is calmer than 88% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Irwin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1980. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Irwin’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Irwin?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Calmer than 2,175 of the 2,558 Pennsylvania towns we cover.
Irwin covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Irwin faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Does Irwin flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Irwin, from FEMA’s records.
Irwin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Westmoreland County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Irwin
Disasters that paid out in Irwin itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Irwin) and its biggest flood years.
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan12 households applied for aid$35K aid approved
Westmoreland County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Old photos of Irwin after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Irwin archive →Get ready for what Irwin actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Most disasters here begin in January–February
The month each of Westmoreland County’s 18 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Irwin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Irwin.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Irwin, expected losses total about $642K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Irwin.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.