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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Elmhurst Township · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Elmhurst Township

Elmhurst Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Elmhurst Township has 881 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1993.

Flood claims
2
paid since 1993 · $35K
Disasters paid out here
2
of 18 declared for Lackawanna County
By hazard

What Elmhurst 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

86%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Hail Wildfire Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 10% of Elmhurst Township’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

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 Elmhurst Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1993

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 1 claim2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19932018
19932026
2
paid claims since 1993
$35K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$18K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Elmhurst 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: Lackawanna County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Elmhurst Township

Disasters that paid out in Elmhurst Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Elmhurst Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides4 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
  2. 2004Tropical Depression Ivan4 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Elmhurst TownshipLackawanna County only

Lackawanna County has had 18 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of Elmhurst Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Elmhurst Township archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Elmhurst 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.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Elmhurst Township

Does Elmhurst Township flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Elmhurst Township since 1993, $35K in all.

Is Elmhurst 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 Lackawanna County, 29% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Elmhurst Township?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Elmhurst 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 Elmhurst Township?

By FEMA money that reached Elmhurst Township, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides (2006): 4 households applied for aid, $6K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Elmhurst Township.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Elmhurst 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.