Natural hazards · Palmerton

Palmerton, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Palmerton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 34 claims here since 1983. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Palmerton?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Palmerton to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves10%Heat waves6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Palmerton faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Palmerton flood?

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

34paid claims since 1983

$213Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 2 claims, $13K
Hurricane Isaias: 1 claim, $5K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $2K

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

Insurance rates: Carbon County.

Disasters that hit Palmerton

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PalmertonDeclared for Carbon County only

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

54 households applied for aid $146K aid approved

Carbon County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Palmerton

Palmerton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Palmertonmostly inland floodingVery high

Lower Towamensingmostly inland floodingHigh

Bowmanstownmostly inland floodingHigh

East Pennmostly 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. Palmerton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Palmerton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Palmerton. 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 Palmerton 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.