Natural hazards · Oakdale

Oakdale, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oakdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 78 claims here since 1980. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oakdale?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oakdale to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding89%Cold waves7%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Oakdale faces

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

Inland flooding

89% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Oakdale flood?

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

78paid claims since 1980

$3.0Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 18 claims, $1.9M
Hurricane Ida: 11 claims, $156K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Allegheny County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Oakdale

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OakdaleDeclared for Allegheny County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

169 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

Allegheny County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Oakdale

Oakdale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Oakdalemostly inland floodingHigh

Noblestownmostly inland floodingVery low

South Fayettemostly inland floodingVery low

North Fayettemostly 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. Oakdale covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oakdale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Oakdale. 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 Oakdale total about $579K 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.