Enter any address in Erie County, Pennsylvania to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Erie County, PA, accounting for 60 occurrences in the last 30 years, which also resulted in 2 fatalities. Recent examples include flash flooding on June 18, 2025, caused by slow-moving thunderstorms, and another on May 21, 2022, associated with a cold front. Lake effect rain also contributes to flooding, as seen on September 27, 2022, which led to minor flooding and road closures in the western part of the county.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a significant number of claims in Zone A (197 claims) and Zone X_UNSHADED (73 claims). However, properties in Zone X and Zone X_SHADED have experienced higher average payouts and water depths, suggesting that even areas not typically considered high-risk can face substantial flood damage. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zones X and X_SHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
37 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Erie County, Pennsylvania has recorded 82 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 60 flash floods and 16 river or area floods. The county has received 11 federal disaster declarations, 2 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 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2012 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Jan 19, 1996 |
| Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm | Snowstorm | Mar 13, 1993 |
| Severe Storms, High Winds & Tornadoes | Tornado | May 31, 1985 |
| Snowstorms | Snowstorm | Jan 29, 1977 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2025 | 150.00K |
| Flood | Sep 27, 2022 | 30.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2022 | 500.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Feb 27, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Nov 15, 2020 | 50.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | 350.00K |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2020 | 5.00M |
| Flood | Feb 1, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2020 | 200.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 31, 2019 | 8.00M |
Flash Flood — Jun 18, 2025
A slow-moving cold front was draped west to east across the southern Great Lakes during the day of June 18th, 2025, with low pressure near Chicago drifting east toward southern Ontario. An upper-level shortwave trough moving eastward across the southern Great Lakes during the afternoon brought scattered showers and thunderstorms to portions of northwest Pennsylvania, with slow-moving and back-b...
Flood — Sep 27, 2022
Lake effect rain impacted Erie County beginning early in the morning of September 25th as a seasonally cold airmass moved southeast across the Great Lakes region. Lake effect rain continued on and off through the 25th and 26th before a more concentrated rain band focused on the western portion of Erie County during the morning and midday hours of September 27th. This additional rain resulted in...
Flash Flood — May 21, 2022
On the morning of the 21st, a cold front extended southwestward from southern ON to far-northwestern OH. This front drifted southeastward through the early evening, when it became located in vicinity of the major axis of Lake Erie, west-central OH, and east-central IN. The front then moved little through the wee hours of the 22nd. A line of thunderstorms moved generally eastward across northwes...
Lakeshore Flood — Feb 27, 2020
Low pressure over the Ohio Valley on the evening of the 26th moved northeast across the central Appalachians, bringing some system snowfall to the region on the night of the 26th into the 27th. As low pressure departed the eastern Great Lakes region on the 27th, wrap-around cold air allowed for lake effect snow to develop over the mostly ice-free waters of the Great Lakes. Multi-banded lake eff...
Flood — Nov 15, 2020
On Sunday, November 15th, a very potent surface low moved northeast across the Great Lakes region. Strong southwesterly to westerly winds occurred across Lake Erie, with sustained winds greater than 50 knots and gusts greater than 60 knots common Sunday afternoon into the evening. For this reason, the NWS issued a Storm Warning for the entirety of Lake Erie, something that hadn���t happen...
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 Erie 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 Erie 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.