Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0FEMA puts Weisenberg Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 94% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Weisenberg Township gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns, #156 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (77%), then hurricanes (12%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2020.
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 Weisenberg 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 Weisenberg Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 77% of the building damage FEMA expects in Weisenberg Township, and Weisenberg Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 79% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 12% (higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts).
A #156 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Weisenberg 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, Weisenberg Township has less expected damage per building than 85% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.9M a year in losses across Weisenberg Township: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Weisenberg Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2020
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Weisenberg Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 89% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Isaias1 claim · $3K
Weisenberg 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: Lehigh County.The storms Weisenberg Township remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Lehigh County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Weisenberg Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20201 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Lehigh County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Weisenberg Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Weisenberg Township archive →Weisenberg Township and its neighbors
Weisenberg Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 4 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weisenberg Township | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Maxatawny Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Lynn Township | Bless damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Lowhill Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
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 Weisenberg 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 Weisenberg Township
Is Weisenberg Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Weisenberg Township has lower expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk, #156 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (77%) and hurricanes (12%). 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 Weisenberg Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Weisenberg Township since 2020, $3K in all, or 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 89% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Isaias (1).
Is Weisenberg 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 Lehigh County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Weisenberg Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Weisenberg 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 Weisenberg Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Isaias: 1 paid, $3K.
Is Weisenberg Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (77%), and Weisenberg Township’s rate for it is lower than 79% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Weisenberg Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Weisenberg 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.