4,147 flood insurance claims·$92.9M paid·10 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from slow-moving summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Luzerne County, accounting for 111 events and three deaths over the last 30 years alongside 29 general flood events. Recent NOAA storm records document how heavy rainfall systems impact the area, such as the August 25 event that caused significant urban flash flooding of poor drainage and storm drain systems with several stranded vehicles in the Wilkes-Barre and Scranton metro areas, as well as the July 14 events that produced torrential rainfall, localized road flooding, overflowing small streams, and flooding in a few residences.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood risks extend beyond high-risk areas, with claims filed across multiple zones. Properties in Zone A recorded the highest impact with 2,045 claims, an average payout of $31,436, and an average recorded water depth of 21 inches. Significant flood impacts also occur outside designated high-risk zones, including 953 claims in Zone X_SHADED (averaging $26,668 and 15 inches of water depth), 704 claims in Zone X (averaging $21,141 and 17 inches of water depth), and 274 claims in Zone X_UNSHADED (averaging $24,957 and 13 inches of water depth). Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties in Zone A and moderate-risk Zone X designations where historical claims and standing water depths indicate recurring vulnerability to both riverine flooding and urban flash floods.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
38% of Luzerne County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
3,272 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 18 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2011, with 899 claims and $62.3M paid, the year of Hurricane Irene, Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee and Tropical Storm Lee.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
81 NOAA storm reports from Luzerne County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Pennsylvania flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Remnants Of Hurricane Ida | Aug 31, 2021 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 3, 2011 |
| Tropical Storm Lee | Sep 3, 2011 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Nov 16, 2006 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jun 23, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
140 since 1996: 111 flash floods and 29 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $250,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 14, 2025. A weak frontal system moving through a warm and excessively moist environment triggered thunderstorms with torrential rainfall. These storms were slow moving and produced copious amounts of rain which led to localized flash flooding of roads, small streams and a few residences over a good portion of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Flash Flood · Aug 13, 2025. A weak area of low pressure moved into Northeastern Pennsylvania during the afternoon which provided a focus for heavy rain-producing thunderstorms. Several storms moved through the Wilkes-Barre and Scranton metro areas during the afternoon causing significant urban flash flooding of poor drainage and storm drain systems. Many roads were flooded in the area with several reports of stranded vehicles in the area.
Flood · Jun 7, 2025. Low pressure moving along a stationary front triggered slow-moving, heavy rain-producing thunderstorms during the early morning hours. Pockets of 2 to 3 inches of rain fell over just a few hours causing urban and small stream flash flooding along with road and bridge washouts.
Flash Flood · Jun 7, 2025. Low pressure moving along a stationary front triggered slow-moving, heavy rain-producing thunderstorms during the early morning hours. Pockets of 2 to 3 inches of rain fell over just a few hours causing urban and small stream flash flooding along with road and bridge washouts.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Luzerne County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.