Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Whitehall faces less hazard damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Whitehall gets an A+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #102 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1987.
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 Whitehall 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 Whitehall’s grade
River and rain flooding is 91% of the building damage FEMA expects in Whitehall, and Whitehall’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ #102 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Whitehall’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, Whitehall has less expected damage per building than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Whitehall: $1.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Whitehall flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1987
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Whitehall, from FEMA’s records: 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 78% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $5K
Whitehall isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Allegheny County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Whitehall
Disasters that paid out in Whitehall itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Borough of Whitehall), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Hurricane Irene21 households applied for aid$25K aid approved
- 2004Tropical Depression Ivan14 households applied for aid$46K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $5K
Allegheny County has had 15 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 Whitehall after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Whitehall archive →Whitehall and its neighbors
Whitehall is 4th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Park | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 70 |
| Brentwood | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Baldwin | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 44 |
| Whitehall | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Castle Shannon | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 30 |
| Pittsburgh | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 447 |
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 Whitehall 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 Whitehall
Is Whitehall at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Whitehall has lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #102 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Whitehall flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Whitehall since 1987, $83K in all, or 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 78% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (1).
Is Whitehall 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 Allegheny County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Whitehall?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Whitehall’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 Whitehall?
By FEMA money that reached Whitehall, Tropical Depression Ivan (2004): 14 households applied for aid, $46K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 paid, $5K.
Is Whitehall at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (91%), and Whitehall’s rate for it is lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Whitehall.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Whitehall’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.