Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Houtzdale

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Houtzdale · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Houtzdale

Houtzdale isn’t graded for hazard risk: Houtzdale has 857 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1984.

Flood claims
2
paid since 1984 · $18K
Disasters paid out here
1
of 14 declared for Clearfield County
By hazard

What Houtzdale 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

85%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 71% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Tornadoes Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms Hail Winter storms 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 Houtzdale’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 Houtzdale flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1984

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1984: 1 claim1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 1 claim2005: 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: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19842004
19842026
Biggest named events
  • Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $13K
2
paid claims since 1984
$18K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$9K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Houtzdale isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Clearfield County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Houtzdale

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

  1. 2004Tropical Depression Ivan8 households applied for aid$15K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $13K
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in HoutzdaleClearfield County only

Clearfield County has had 14 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 Houtzdale after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Houtzdale archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Houtzdale 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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 Houtzdale

Does Houtzdale flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Houtzdale since 1984, $18K in all. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (1).

Is Houtzdale 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 Clearfield County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Houtzdale?

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

By FEMA money that reached Houtzdale, Tropical Depression Ivan (2004): 8 households applied for aid, $15K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 paid, $13K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Houtzdale.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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