Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in North Charleroi than in 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Charleroi gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (97%). Flood insurance has paid 40 claims here since 1985.
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 North Charleroi 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 North Charleroi’s grade
River and rain flooding is 97% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Charleroi, and North Charleroi’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
C− higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of North Charleroi’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $365K a year in losses across North Charleroi: $341K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Charleroi flood? Sometimes: 40 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Charleroi, from FEMA’s records: 52.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
North Charleroi isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Washington County.The storms North Charleroi remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Charleroi itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 198514 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Washington County
- 199614 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Washington County
- 200010 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Washington County has had 11 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 North Charleroi after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Charleroi archive →North Charleroi and its neighbors
North Charleroi is 4th of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallowfield Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Rostraver Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 43 |
| Monessen | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| North Charleroi | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 40 |
| Charleroi | C−more damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 30 |
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 North Charleroi 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 North Charleroi
Is North Charleroi at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Charleroi has higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (97%). 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 North Charleroi flood?
Flood insurance has paid 40 claims in North Charleroi since 1985, $379K in all, or 52.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 7 properties have flooded more than once.
Is North Charleroi 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 Washington County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in North Charleroi?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Charleroi’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is North Charleroi at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (97%), and North Charleroi’s rate for it is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Charleroi.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Charleroi’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.