Enter any address in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood hazard in Cumberland County, PA, with 82 events recorded in the NOAA Storm Events Database over the last 30 years, including 38 classified as flash floods. For example, on June 30, 2025, a slow-moving warm front combined with moist and unstable atmospheric conditions led to multiple thunderstorm clusters producing flash flooding. Another significant event occurred on January 9, 2024, when heavy snowmelt and rainfall contributed to flooding.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has processed 1,212 claims in Cumberland County. Zone A, typically areas with higher flood risk, accounts for the majority of claims at 751, with an average payout of $14,288 and an average water depth of 4.1 feet. Zone X_UNSHADED, representing moderate flood risk, had 179 claims with an average payout of $4,538 and 2.5 feet of water. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in areas with less defined flood risk like Zone X_UNSHADED and Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
11 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania has recorded 83 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 38 flash floods and 44 river or area floods. The county has received 19 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1972–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Jan 22, 2016 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Flood | Sep 3, 2011 |
| Tropical Storm Lee | Flood | Sep 3, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Snowstorm | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Tropical Depression Ivan | Hurricane | Sep 17, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances | Severe Storm | Sep 8, 2004 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 1, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 16, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 10, 2013 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 30, 2025
A slow-moving warm front in an extremely moist (PWAT values exceeding 2.00, values closer to 2.25 across the Lower Susquehanna Valley) and unstable environment allowed for multiple clusters of thunderstorms to begin to form during the late morning hours and continue through the late evening hours of June 30, 2025. A shortwave trough stationed across the region allowed for enhanced lift, with re...
Flood — Jan 9, 2024
Warm advection ahead of low pressure pushing up the Ohio Valley produced a 4 to 6 hour period of moderate to heavy snow across the southern Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania during the morning of January 9, 2024. As much as 12 inches of snowfall was observed atop the Allegheny Front in eastern Somerset and eastern Cambria counties, with localized snowfall rates of 2-3 inches per hour. This sy...
Flood — Sep 1, 2021
The remnants of Hurricane Ida produced widespread heavy rainfall across Pennsylvania. Additionally, thunderstorms were observed southeast Of I-81 and the PA Turnpike. One of these storms produced wind damage in Adams County.
Flash Flood — Sep 1, 2021
The remnants of Hurricane Ida produced widespread heavy rainfall across Pennsylvania. Additionally, thunderstorms were observed southeast Of I-81 and the PA Turnpike. One of these storms produced wind damage in Adams County.
Flash Flood — Aug 4, 2017
A line of pre-frontal convection developed well ahead of an approaching cold front in a moderate CAPE and moderate shear environment over central Pennsylvania during the afternoon of August 4, 2017. This line of storms produced numerous reports of wind damage, and a brief EF1 tornado formed with a cell on the southern portion of this line in Fulton County, PA. Heavy rainfall also accompanied t...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.