Natural hazards · Lawrence

Lawrence, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lawrence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lawrence?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lawrence to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding83%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Lawrence faces

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

Inland flooding

83% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Lawrence flood?

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

21paid claims since 1978

$204Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 6 claims, $89K
Hurricane Debby: 2 claims, $41K

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

Insurance rates: Clearfield County.

Disasters that hit Lawrence

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into LawrenceDeclared for Clearfield County only

Clearfield County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Lawrence

Lawrence and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hustonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lawrencemostly inland floodingModerate

Goshenmostly inland floodingModerate

Pikemostly inland floodingLow

Pinemostly inland floodingLow

Knoxmostly inland floodingLow

Boggsmostly inland floodingVery low

Bradfordmostly 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. Lawrence covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lawrence’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lawrence. 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 Lawrence total about $3.1M 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.