Natural hazards · Tobyhanna

Tobyhanna, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tobyhanna comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2004. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tobyhanna?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tobyhanna to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding61%Cold waves17%Hurricanes7%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Tobyhanna 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 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Tobyhanna flood?

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

5paid claims since 2004

$36Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $7K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $2K

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

Insurance rates: Monroe County.

Disasters that hit Tobyhanna

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TobyhannaDeclared for Monroe County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2011

Hurricane Irene

34 households applied for aid $38K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

26 households applied for aid $72K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

47 households applied for aid $58K aid approved

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

31 households applied for aid $150K aid approved

Monroe County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Tobyhanna

Tobyhanna and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Thornhurstmostly inland floodingLow

Poconomostly inland floodingLow

Buckmostly inland floodingLow

Tobyhannamostly inland floodingVery low

Tunkhannockmostly inland floodingVery low

Kiddermostly inland floodingVery low

Coolbaughmostly 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. Tobyhanna covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tobyhanna’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Tobyhanna. 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 Tobyhanna total about $3.4M 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.