Natural hazards · Macungie

Macungie, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Macungie comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 32 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Macungie?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Macungie to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves26%Heat waves6%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Macungie faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Macungie flood?

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

32paid claims since 1978

$321Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 8 claims, $16K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 6 claims, $143K
Hurricane Irene: 3 claims, $23K

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

Insurance rates: Lehigh County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Macungie

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MacungieDeclared for Lehigh County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

23 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

30 households applied for aid $51K aid approved

Lehigh County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Macungie

Macungie and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Macungiemostly inland floodingLow

Lower Macungiemostly inland floodingLow

Upper Milfordmostly 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. Macungie covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Macungie’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Macungie. 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 Macungie total about $1.0M 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.