Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Eldred Township as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eldred Township gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns, #798 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (89%). Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1981.
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 Eldred 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 Eldred Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 89% of the building damage FEMA expects in Eldred Township, and Eldred Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 5% (higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts).
B− #798 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Eldred 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, Eldred Township has more expected damage per building than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Eldred Township: $705K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Eldred Township flood? Sometimes: 33 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Eldred Township, from FEMA’s records: 25.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Lee6 claims · $152K
- Tropical Storm Ivan3 claims · $29K
- Hurricane Sandy1 claim · $15K
Eldred 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: Monroe County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Eldred Township
Disasters that paid out in Eldred Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Eldred Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$85K to Eldred Township for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
- 2011Tropical Storm Lee$24K to Eldred Township for repairs6 flood claims paid for it, $152K
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan$801 to Eldred Township for repairs3 flood claims paid for it, $29K
Monroe County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Eldred Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Eldred Township archive →Eldred Township and its neighbors
Eldred Township is 5th of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Moore Township | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Towamensing Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Ross Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Eldred Township | B−more damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 33 |
| Lower Towamensing Township | Cmore damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
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 Eldred 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 Eldred Township
Is Eldred Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eldred Township has higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #798 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (89%) and hurricanes (5%). 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 Eldred Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 33 claims in Eldred Township since 1981, $438K in all, or 25.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (6).
Is Eldred 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 Monroe County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Eldred Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Eldred 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 Eldred Township?
By FEMA money that reached Eldred Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2016): $85K to Eldred Township for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 6 paid, $152K.
Is Eldred Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (89%), and Eldred Township’s rate for it is higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Eldred Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Eldred 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.