Natural hazards · Palmer

Palmer, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palmer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 39 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palmer?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palmer to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes6%Heat waves6%Cold waves5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Palmer faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Palmer flood?

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

39paid claims since 1979

$1.8Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isaias: 13 claims, $111K
Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $16K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 2 claims, $145K

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. Palmer 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 Palmer

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PalmerDeclared for Northampton County only

2011

Hurricane Irene

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved

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

Around Palmer

Palmer and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Eastonmostly inland floodingHigh

Stockertownmostly inland floodingHigh

Tatamymostly inland floodingHigh

Forksmostly inland floodingModerate

Wilsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Palmermostly inland floodingModerate

Upper Nazarethmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Nazarethmostly inland floodingLow

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingLow

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. Palmer covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palmer’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Palmer. 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 Palmer total about $6.6M 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.