1,189 flood insurance claims·$27.5M 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 Wyoming 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 driven by summer thunderstorms and tropical systems dominates the flood character of Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, accounting for 42 of the 67 total recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 25 general flood events.
Recent history illustrates this severe risk, notably in August 2024 when prolonged torrential rains from tropical moisture ahead of the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby triggered widespread flash flooding. This event destroyed roads and bridges, washed away properties, and required the deployment of numerous swiftwater rescue teams.
Property owners should evaluate their specific flood zone designations, as historical National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows impacts across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for the highest claim volume with 755 claims averaging a payout of $28,899 and an average recorded water depth of 23 inches. However, properties outside designated high-risk areas also face meaningful hazards; Zone X recorded 168 claims with an average payout of $29,947 and an average water depth of 10 inches, while Zone X_SHADED recorded 132 claims averaging a $31,148 payout and an average water depth of 20 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 30 claims averaging $17,765 with an average water depth of 18 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN recorded 104 claims averaging $3,682 with an average depth of 3 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18% of Wyoming County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
917 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 19 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 325 claims and $17.3M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding, Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee and Remnants Of 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.
33 NOAA storm reports from Wyoming County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Pennsylvania flood stories →
27 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 9, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 10, 2018 |
| 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 | Apr 25, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Nov 16, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
67 since 1996: 42 flash floods and 25 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | $3,000 |
| Flash Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Dec 18, 2023 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 9, 2023 | $250,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Aug 9, 2024. A deep plume of tropical moisture had spread over Northeast Pennsylvania ahead of the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. Prolonged torrential rains blanketed the region during the night and early morning hours before becoming enhanced by the approaching tropical remnants. This enhancement of rainfall led to widespread flash flooding in many parts of the region where roads and bridges were destroyed and washed away…
Flash Flood · Aug 9, 2024. A deep plume of tropical moisture had spread over Northeast Pennsylvania ahead of the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. Prolonged torrential rains blanketed the region during the night and early morning hours before becoming enhanced by the approaching tropical remnants. This enhancement of rainfall led to widespread flash flooding in many parts of the region where roads and bridges were destroyed and washed away…
Flash Flood · Dec 18, 2023. Low pressure moved north along the Atlantic Seaboard spreading steady and heavy rain into northeastern Pennsylvania during the overnight hours. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were observed along with a considerable amount of melting snow into area rivers and streams. Widespread flash flooding and river flooding occurred during this event.
Flash Flood · Sep 9, 2023. A stationary frontal system over northeastern Pennsylvania combined with a weak upper level disturbance to focus heavy rain producing thunderstorms over the area. Torrential downpours over just a couple of hours accumulated between 3 to 5 inches of rainfall in small stream basins above the large metropolitan area known as the Lackawanna-Wyoming Valley. Severe flash flooding resulted in many road and bridge washout…
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 Wyoming 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.