Natural hazards · Taylor

Taylor, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Taylor comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Taylor?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Taylor to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Cold waves10%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Taylor faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Taylor flood?

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

1paid claims since 1979

$1Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lackawanna County.

Disasters that hit Taylor

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TaylorDeclared for Lackawanna County only

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $5K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

7 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

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

Around Taylor

Taylor and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Moosicmostly inland floodingHigh

Scrantonmostly inland floodingModerate

Old Forgemostly inland floodingModerate

Taylormostly 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. Taylor covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Taylor’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Taylor. 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 Taylor total about $1.7M 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.