Natural hazards · Tarentum

Tarentum, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tarentum comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tarentum?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tarentum to be higher than in 89% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding94%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Tarentum faces

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

Inland flooding

94% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times 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 Tarentum flood?

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

26paid claims since 1978

$254Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 11 claims, $183K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Tarentum isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Allegheny County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Tarentum

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TarentumDeclared for Allegheny County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

199 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

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

Around Tarentum

Tarentum and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tarentummostly inland floodingVery high

Brackenridgemostly inland floodingVery high

East Deermostly inland floodingVery high

Fawnmostly inland floodingHigh

Harrisonmostly inland floodingHigh

New Kensingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Lower Burrellmostly inland floodingLow

Frazermostly 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. Tarentum covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tarentum’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Tarentum. 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 Tarentum total about $3.1M 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.