Natural hazards · Lehman

Lehman, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lehman comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lehman?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lehman to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Cold waves15%Tornadoes6%Hurricanes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Lehman faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 29 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Lehman flood?

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

13paid claims since 1978

$66Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $16K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $10K
Tropical Storm Lee: 1 claim, $3K

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. Lehman 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 Lehman

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into LehmanDeclared for Luzerne County only

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

Around Lehman

Lehman and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Plymouthmostly inland floodingVery high

Harveys Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Lakemostly inland floodingVery low

Rossmostly inland floodingVery low

Jacksonmostly inland floodingVery low

Dallasmostly inland floodingVery low

Lehmanmostly 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. Lehman covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lehman’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lehman. 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 Lehman total about $645K 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.