Photo: Original uploader was Ekem at en.wikipedia · Public domainFEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Pocono Township than in 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pocono Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #440 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%). Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1978.
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 Pocono 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
Hurricanes
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 Pocono Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 84% of the building damage FEMA expects in Pocono Township, and Pocono Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 8% (higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #440 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Pocono Township’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, Pocono Township has less expected damage per building than 58% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.7M a year in losses across Pocono Township: $2.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Pocono Township flood? Sometimes: 14 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pocono Township, from FEMA’s records: 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Henri4 claims · $276K
- Hurricane Irene1 claim · $7K
- Hurricane Isaias1 claim · $53K
Pocono 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: Monroe County.The storms Pocono Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Monroe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Pocono Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20214 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19963 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Monroe County
- 20062 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides, declared for Monroe County
Monroe County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Pocono Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pocono Township archive →Pocono Township and its neighbors
Pocono Township is 3rd of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pocono | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | — |
| Tobyhanna Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Pocono Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Stroud Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 38 |
| Paradise Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Jackson Township | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Hamilton Township | Bless damage than 62% | 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 Pocono 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.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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 Pocono Township
Is Pocono Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pocono Township has lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #440 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%) and hurricanes (8%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Pocono Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 14 claims in Pocono Township since 1978, $458K in all, or 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Henri (4).
Is Pocono 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 Monroe County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pocono Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pocono 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 Pocono Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Henri: 4 paid, $276K.
Is Pocono Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (84%), and Pocono Township’s rate for it is lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pocono Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pocono 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.