The Lehigh Valley — anchored by Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton — is built on a foundation of century-old industrial housing stock and a network of creeks and rivers with a long, damaging flood history. GB Claims LLC is a licensed public adjusting firm representing homeowners and business owners throughout the Lehigh Valley on fire, water, storm, and flood claims, with no upfront fee on public adjusting claims.
Local Risk Profile and Building Stock in the Lehigh Valley
Housing in the Lehigh Valley’s core cities is significantly older than the state and metro averages. In Bethlehem, the median home was built around 1955, compared to 1964 statewide and 1969 across the broader metro area (City of Bethlehem Housing Study). Allentown’s housing stock is even older: roughly half of all homes were built before 1950, another 40% between 1950 and 1980, and only about 7% after 2000 (City of Allentown Housing Plan). Much of this stock consists of rowhomes and twin (semi-detached) homes built during the region’s industrial heyday around Bethlehem Steel and the surrounding rail and manufacturing corridors — meaning shared walls, older wiring, and roofing systems well past their original service life are common.
Flooding is described as the most significant natural hazard in the Lehigh Valley, with roughly 5% of the region’s land area sitting within the 1% annual chance floodplain (NCEM-PA). The valley is defined by its rivers: the Lehigh River splits the valley itself, the Delaware River forms its eastern edge through Easton, and a network of smaller creeks — the Monocacy Creek in Bethlehem, the Jordan Creek and Little Lehigh Creek in Allentown, Saucon Creek, and Hokendauqua Creek — feed into them, each with its own local flooding pattern.
The benchmark flood event remains August 1955, when the same storm system that devastated the Poconos sent the Lehigh River in Bethlehem to a record crest of 25.9 feet, while the Delaware River at Easton reached 44.4 feet, causing roughly $10 million in damage in Easton alone and contributing to around 70 deaths across the region. More recently, remnants of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 flooded the Monocacy Creek near Moravian College in Bethlehem after roughly 5 inches of rain fell in a short period, and a January 2024 storm triggered water rescues and minor flooding across multiple creeks in the valley. Winter storms are also a major driver of claims: the region recorded 219 winter weather events between 1950 and 2012 causing $43.1 million in property damage, including the January 2016 “Snowzilla” storm, which set a single-storm snowfall record of 31.9 inches, and a February 2021 storm that dropped 27.3 inches.
Types of Losses We Handle in the Lehigh Valley
- River and creek flooding: Claims tied to the Lehigh River, Delaware River, Monocacy Creek, Jordan Creek, and Little Lehigh Creek overflowing after heavy rain.
- Fire and smoke damage: Structure fires in attached rowhomes and twin homes throughout Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, including smoke damage that spreads between shared-wall units.
- Winter storm damage: Roof collapse, ice dam, and snow-load claims following the valley’s heavy winter storms.
- Water and pipe failures: Aging plumbing and roofing failures common in homes built before 1950.
- Theft and burglary: Loss documentation and valuation for residential and commercial break-ins.
- Business interruption: Lost income claims for Lehigh Valley manufacturing, retail, and professional businesses following a covered property loss.
How the Public Adjusting Claim Process Works
GB Claims LLC starts with a free, no-obligation inspection of your property. Once retained, we manage every step of the claim: documenting the full extent of the damage, preparing a comprehensive itemized estimate, reviewing your policy for coverage — including ordinance-or-law coverage that often applies to older Lehigh Valley properties needing code upgrades — and negotiating directly with your insurance company’s adjuster on your behalf. There is no upfront fee for public adjusting claims; we are paid only out of your settlement.
Licensed and Local to the Region
GB Claims LLC is a licensed public adjusting firm authorized to represent policyholders in Pennsylvania, along with New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Our office is based at 71 Lafayette Ave, Suite 203, Suffern, New York, and we regularly travel throughout the Lehigh Valley — including Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton — for inspections. Our Pennsylvania public adjuster license number is [[LICENSE NUMBER TO BE INSERTED]]. You can verify license status or file a complaint through the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s Consumer Help Center or its public adjuster information page, or by calling 1-877-881-6388.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Bethlehem’s older housing matter for insurance claims?
With a median home built around 1955 — older than the state average — Bethlehem properties often involve outdated wiring, plumbing, and roofing that insurers may try to depreciate heavily; a public adjuster helps make sure your policy’s actual coverage terms are properly applied (City of Bethlehem Housing Study).
Does the Lehigh Valley flood even without a hurricane?
Yes. Flooding is considered the most significant natural hazard in the region, and creeks like the Monocacy and Jordan have flooded from heavy rainstorms unrelated to tropical systems, most recently in January 2024.
I live in a rowhome in Allentown or Bethlehem — does a fire in a neighboring unit affect my claim?
It can. Shared walls in the valley’s rowhome and twin-home stock mean smoke and fire damage frequently spreads between units, which requires careful documentation to separate your damage and coverage from your neighbor’s.
How much snow load risk do Lehigh Valley roofs face?
Significant risk in a heavy winter — the region has seen single storms drop over 30 inches of snow, and roof collapse or ice dam claims are common after major winter events.
If your Lehigh Valley home or business has suffered flood, fire, storm, or winter weather damage, call GB Claims LLC for a free claim review at 845-456-6699 — no upfront fee, no obligation.