Natural hazards · Shamokin

Shamokin, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shamokin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 65 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Shamokin?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shamokin to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding91%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Shamokin faces

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

Inland flooding

91% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Shamokin flood?

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

65paid claims since 1978

$550Kpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 32 claims, $437K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 4 claims, $12K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $9K

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

Insurance rates: Northumberland County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

7flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Shamokin

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShamokinDeclared for Northumberland County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

613 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

81 households applied for aid $98K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

25 households applied for aid $33K aid approved

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

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. Shamokin covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shamokin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Shamokin. 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 Shamokin total about $5.9M 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.