More hazard damage per building is expected in Etna than in 84% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Etna gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, #987 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). Flood insurance has paid 239 claims here since 1979.
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 stands out about Etna’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Etna 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
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 Etna’s grade
River and rain flooding is 98% of the building damage FEMA expects in Etna, and Etna’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #987 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Etna’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, Etna has more expected damage per building than 95% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.9M a year in losses across Etna: $1.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Etna flood? Yes: 239 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Etna, from FEMA’s records: 136.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan151 claims · $5.6M
- Hurricane Ida6 claims · $43K
Etna is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Allegheny County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Etna
Disasters that paid out in Etna itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Etna), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan134 households applied for aid$639K aid approved151 flood claims paid for it, $5.6M
Allegheny 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 Etna after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Etna archive →Etna and its neighbors
Etna is 3rd of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaler Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 228 |
| Pittsburgh | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 447 |
| Etna | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 239 |
| Sharpsburg | D−more damage than 95% | river and rain flooding | 78 |
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 Etna 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.
- 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.
- Etna residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Etna
Is Etna at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Etna has higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #987 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (98%). 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 Etna flood?
Flood insurance has paid 239 claims in Etna since 1979, $6.1M in all, or 136.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 20 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (151).
Is Etna 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 Allegheny County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Etna?
Etna is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Etna?
By FEMA money that reached Etna, Tropical Depression Ivan (2004): 134 households applied for aid, $639K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 151 paid, $5.6M.
Is Etna at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (98%), and Etna’s rate for it is in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Etna.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Etna’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.