Natural hazards · Whitehall

Whitehall, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Whitehall comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1987. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Whitehall?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Whitehall to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding66%Cold waves19%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Whitehall faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% 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 Whitehall flood?

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

7paid claims since 1987

$83Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19872026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $5K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Whitehall 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.

Disasters that hit Whitehall

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WhitehallDeclared for Allegheny County only

2004

Tropical Depression Ivan

14 households applied for aid $46K aid approved

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

Around Whitehall

Whitehall and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pittsburghmostly inland floodingHigh

Castle Shannonmostly inland floodingLow

Whitehallmostly inland floodingVery low

Baldwinmostly inland floodingVery low

Brentwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Bethel Parkmostly 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. Whitehall covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Whitehall’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Whitehall. 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 Whitehall total about $2.1M 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.