Natural hazards · Sunbury

Sunbury, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sunbury comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 53 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 Sunbury?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sunbury to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes7%Strong wind6%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Sunbury 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

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Sunbury flood?

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

53paid claims since 1978

$462Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 6 claims, $67K
Tropical Storm Lee: 3 claims, $106K
Torrential rain: 1 claim, $950

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

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Sunbury is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Northumberland County.

Disasters that hit Sunbury

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SunburyDeclared for Northumberland County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

141 households applied for aid $288K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

22 households applied for aid $63K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

36 households applied for aid $73K 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. Sunbury covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sunbury’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sunbury. 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 Sunbury total about $2.3M 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.