Storms, floods and disasters in Oakland
Oakland isn’t graded for hazard risk: Oakland has 527 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011.
What Oakland 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.
Does Oakland flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Oakland, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Lee1 claim · $21K
Oakland isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Susquehanna County.The storms Oakland remembers
None of the 20 disasters declared for Susquehanna County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Oakland itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20111 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Storm Lee, declared for Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County has had 20 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 Oakland after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Oakland archive →Oakland and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susquehanna Depot | C−more damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Oakland Township | — | 541 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 Oakland 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 Oakland
Does Oakland flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Oakland since 2011, $21K in all. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (1).
Is Oakland 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 Susquehanna County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Oakland?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Oakland’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 Oakland?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 1 paid, $21K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Oakland.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Oakland’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.