219 flood insurance claims·$3.0M paid·6 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 Pike 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 summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Pike County, Pennsylvania, accounting for 17 of the 27 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 10 general flood events. Recent severe weather includes torrential rainfall from slow-moving thunderstorms in July 2023 that caused small stream and creek flooding near the Delaware River, as well as widespread rainfall of 3 to 5 inches from Tropical Storm Isaias in August 2020 that produced localized flash flooding.
Property owners and real estate professionals should note that flood risk extends beyond designated high-risk areas. National Flood Insurance Program records show claims spanning multiple zones. Properties in FEMA Zone X recorded 100 claims with an average water depth of 14 inches and an average payout of $15,587. Properties in Zone A recorded 76 claims with an average water depth of 17 inches and an average payout of $24,588. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 38 claims averaging 6 inches of water depth, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 5 claims averaging 2 inches. Homeowners near streams and rivers, as well as those located outside mapped high-risk zones, should pay close attention to this flood history.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6% of Pike County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
81 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 14 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 2006, with 69 claims and $1.8M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides.
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.
7 NOAA storm reports from Pike County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Pennsylvania flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Hurricane Irene | Aug 26, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jun 23, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 2, 2005 |
| Tropical Depression Ivan | Sep 17, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances | Sep 8, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes,and Flooding | May 31, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
27 since 1996: 17 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2020 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2020 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 11, 2011 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Jun 28, 2006 | $5.0M |
| Flash Flood | Oct 8, 2005 | $50,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 12, 2025. A warm and unstable environment south of a warm front supported the development of scattered thunderstorms over northeastern Pennsylvania. Torrential rainfall contributed to localized flooding of small streams, creeks and area roads.
Flash Flood · May 9, 2025. A slow-moving upper level low pressure system moved across Northeast Pennsylvania during the day. This feature triggered scattered thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall that led to isolated flash flooding of roads.
Flash Flood · Jul 3, 2023. A stationary front draped over the region provided the focus for slow moving thunderstorm activity over northeastern Pennsylvania. Localized areas of 2 to 4 inches of rainfall contributed to some small stream and creek flooding near the Delaware River.
Flash Flood · Aug 4, 2020. Rain and embedded thunderstorms moved through Northeast Pennsylvania on the 4th associated with Tropical Storm Isaias. Widespread rainfall of 3 to 5 inches occurred across the region. Locally heavy rainfall produced areas of flash flooding.
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 Pike 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.