Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, Mahoning 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, Mahoning Township gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns, #823 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2003.
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 Mahoning 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
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 Mahoning Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 94% of the building damage FEMA expects in Mahoning Township, and Mahoning Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #823 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Mahoning 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, Mahoning Township has more expected damage per building than 79% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $660K a year in losses across Mahoning Township: $605K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Mahoning Township flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 2003
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Mahoning Township, from FEMA’s records: 6.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 66% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Bill1 claim · $3K
Mahoning 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: Lawrence County.The storms Mahoning Township remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Lawrence County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Mahoning Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20043 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Lawrence County
- 20063 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20031 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Lawrence County
Lawrence County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Mahoning Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Mahoning Township archive →Mahoning Township and its neighbors
Mahoning Township is 6th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Union Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Neshannock Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| North Beaver Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Pulaski Township | B−more damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Mahoning Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Edinburg | — | 196 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 Mahoning 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.
- 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 Mahoning Township
Is Mahoning Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mahoning Township has higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #823 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). 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 Mahoning Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Mahoning Township since 2003, $208K in all, or 6.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 66% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Bill (1).
Is Mahoning 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 Lawrence County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Mahoning Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Mahoning 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 Mahoning Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Bill: 1 paid, $3K.
Is Mahoning Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (94%), and Mahoning Township’s rate for it is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mahoning Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Mahoning 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.