Natural hazards · Plainfield

Plainfield, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Plainfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Plainfield?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Plainfield to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Hurricanes8%Heat waves8%Cold waves7%Tornadoes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Plainfield faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 95 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Plainfield flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Plainfield.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Plainfield 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 Plainfield

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Northampton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Plainfield itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into PlainfieldDeclared for Northampton County only

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

Around Plainfield

Plainfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lower Mount Bethelmostly inland floodingHigh

Stockertownmostly inland floodingHigh

Forksmostly inland floodingModerate

Hamiltonmostly inland floodingLow

Washingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Bushkillmostly inland floodingLow

Rossmostly inland floodingLow

Plainfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Wind Gapmostly 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. Plainfield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Plainfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Plainfield. 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 Plainfield total about $1.4M 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.