221 flood insurance claims·$4.7M paid·9 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 Wayne 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 risk in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 57 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, compared to 10 general flood events. Recent activity illustrates this pattern, including a mesoscale convective system on June 22, 2025 that dropped 3 to 5 inches of rain within six hours, causing widespread flash flooding and small river flooding. Additionally, slow-moving thunderstorms on July 14, 2025, and May 6, 2025, produced torrential rainfall that led to localized flash flooding of roads, small streams, ditches, and residences.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties located within FEMA-designated Zone A face the highest risk and severity, accounting for 127 claims with an average payout of $31,0976 and an average recorded water depth of 25 inches. However, properties outside high-risk areas also experience significant impacts; Zone X recorded 48 claims with an average payout of $19,161 and an average water depth of 18 inches, while Zone X_SHADED recorded 13 claims averaging $26,322 with an average water depth of 6 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties situated in Zone A, while recognizing that moderate-to-low risk zones also experience damaging water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Wayne County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
159 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 20 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 72 claims and $2.5M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides and Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
25 NOAA storm reports from Wayne County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Pennsylvania flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 9, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 26, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| 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.
67 since 1996: 57 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2025 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2025 | $75,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2025 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2025 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2025. A mesoscale convective system (MCS) dropped southward across Central NY from eastern Ontario, moving into an environment with plenty of moisture and instability during the early morning hours. Torrential rainfall accompanied these storms and produced widespread flash flooding and small river flooding. Estimates of 3 to 5 inches, with locally higher amounts, fell mostly within a 6-hour period and affected portions…
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 · 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.
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 Wayne 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.