Natural hazards · Lower Burrell

Lower Burrell, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lower Burrell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lower Burrell?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lower Burrell to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding88%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Lower Burrell faces

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

Inland flooding

88% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Lower Burrell flood?

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

12paid claims since 1979

$468Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 4 claims, $388K

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. Lower Burrell 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.

Disasters that hit Lower Burrell

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Lower BurrellDeclared for Westmoreland County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

72 households applied for aid $301K aid approved

Westmoreland County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Lower Burrell

Lower Burrell and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tarentummostly inland floodingVery high

Harrisonmostly inland floodingHigh

New Kensingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Burrellmostly inland floodingLow

Alleghenymostly inland floodingLow

Upper Burrellmostly inland floodingVery low

Plummostly 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. Lower Burrell covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lower Burrell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lower Burrell. 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 Lower Burrell total about $2.7M 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.