Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0On FEMA’s figures, East Penn Township faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Penn Township gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 60% of U.S. towns, #667 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%). Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2000.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What East Penn Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hurricanes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind East Penn Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 85% of the building damage FEMA expects in East Penn Township, and East Penn Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 6% (higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts).
B #667 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 60% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of East Penn Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, East Penn Township has more expected damage per building than 64% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $947K a year in losses across East Penn Township: $567K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does East Penn Township flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 2000
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in East Penn Township, from FEMA’s records: 3.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 53% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $6K
East Penn Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Carbon County.The storms East Penn Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Carbon County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching East Penn Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20001 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20041 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Carbon County
- 20051 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Carbon County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of East Penn Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the East Penn Township archive →East Penn Township and its neighbors
East Penn Township is 4th of the 8 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Mahoning Township | B+less damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Washington Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| East Penn Township | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| West Penn Township | Bless damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Heidelberg Township | B−more damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Lower Towamensing Township | Cmore damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Palmerton | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 34 |
| Bowmanstown | — | 968 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what East Penn Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in East Penn Township
Is East Penn Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Penn Township has lower expected damage per building than 60% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #667 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%) and hurricanes (6%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does East Penn Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in East Penn Township since 2000, $27K in all, or 3.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 53% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (1).
Is East Penn Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Carbon County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in East Penn Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for East Penn Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in East Penn Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 paid, $6K.
Is East Penn Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (85%), and East Penn Township’s rate for it is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in East Penn Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where East Penn Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.