Natural hazards · Nazareth

Nazareth, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Nazareth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2004. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Nazareth?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Nazareth to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Heat waves9%Cold waves8%Hurricanes7%Tornadoes7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Nazareth faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Nazareth flood?

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

5paid claims since 2004

$30Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 3 claims, $19K
Hurricane Isaias: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Nazareth isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Northampton County.

Disasters that hit Nazareth

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NazarethDeclared for Northampton County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

36 households applied for aid $57K aid approved

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

13 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

22 households applied for aid $30K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

128 households applied for aid $335K aid approved

Northampton County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Nazareth

Nazareth and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Upper Nazarethmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Nazarethmostly inland floodingLow

Nazarethmostly 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. Nazareth covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Nazareth’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Nazareth. 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 Nazareth total about $1.1M 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.