Natural hazards · Kingston

Kingston, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kingston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 108 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kingston?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kingston to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Cold waves9%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Kingston faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 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 Kingston flood?

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

108paid claims since 1978

$368Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 8 claims, $44K
Not a named storm: 7 claims, $3K
Tropical Storm Lee: 5 claims, $45K

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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Kingston is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Luzerne County.

Disasters that hit Kingston

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KingstonDeclared for Luzerne County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

33 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

11 households applied for aid $195 aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

27 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

14 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

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

Around Kingston

Kingston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wilkes-Barremostly inland floodingHigh

Kingstonmostly inland floodingModerate

Forty Fortmostly inland floodingModerate

Plainsmostly inland floodingModerate

Edwardsvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Pringlemostly 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. Kingston covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kingston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Kingston. 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 Kingston total about $4.1M 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.