Flood Help Guide

Pennsylvania flood insurance and flood history

From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08

77,060NFIP flood claims since 1978
$1.4 billionPaid on those claims
$40,512Average paid claimlast 10 years
0.7%Homes with NFIP flood insurance
15Flood disaster declarationssince 2000

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 77,060 flood insurance claims in Pennsylvania since 1978. The NFIP paid $1.4 billion on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).

The year with the most claims was 1996, with 11,075, mostly from Flooding.

In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 8,315 claims, and the average paid claim was $40,512.

29% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).

About 0.7% of homes in Pennsylvania had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (31,965 of 4,599,973 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 23% (21,245 of 92,246).

Since 2000, FEMA has made 15 flood-related disaster declarations covering parts of Pennsylvania. The most recent was DR-4815-PA (Tropical Storm Debby), declared September 11, 2024.

Flood insurance claims in Pennsylvania by year

NFIP flood claims per year in Pennsylvania, 1978 to 202605k10k15k20k1978: 2,050 claims, $4.9 million paid1979: 4,577 claims, $12.0 million paid1980: 738 claims, $2.1 million paid19801981: 1,168 claims, $3.5 million paid1982: 737 claims, $6.2 million paid1983: 1,311 claims, $4.4 million paid1984: 2,726 claims, $10.1 million paid1985: 1,177 claims, $6.8 million paid1986: 616 claims, $2.8 million paid1987: 618 claims, $3.8 million paid1988: 144 claims, $578,182 paid1989: 564 claims, $3.4 million paid1990: 414 claims, $2.0 million paid19901991: 176 claims, $1.4 million paid1992: 168 claims, $1.3 million paid1993: 1,238 claims, $7.9 million paid1994: 855 claims, $5.7 million paid1995: 212 claims, $1.1 million paid1996: 11,075 claims, $138.3 million paid1997: 452 claims, $3.5 million paid1998: 220 claims, $750,233 paid1999: 2,581 claims, $63.4 million paid2000: 631 claims, $7.0 million paid20002001: 689 claims, $26.1 million paid2002: 138 claims, $905,537 paid2003: 1,094 claims, $10.4 million paid2004: 10,120 claims, $210.7 million paid2005: 2,116 claims, $61.0 million paid2006: 4,281 claims, $126.3 million paid2007: 509 claims, $4.5 million paid2008: 224 claims, $1.7 million paid2009: 686 claims, $14.4 million paid2010: 1,410 claims, $19.8 million paid20102011: 10,592 claims, $356.3 million paid2012: 398 claims, $3.8 million paid2013: 782 claims, $12.7 million paid2014: 713 claims, $17.0 million paid2015: 253 claims, $2.5 million paid2016: 292 claims, $4.9 million paid2017: 532 claims, $10.1 million paid2018: 2,145 claims, $50.4 million paid2019: 707 claims, $20.2 million paid2020: 1,302 claims, $44.1 million paid20202021: 2,247 claims, $117.1 million paid2022: 114 claims, $1.8 million paid2023: 299 claims, $9.3 million paid2024: 589 claims, $16.7 million paid2025: 206 claims, $6.0 million paid2026: 174 claims, $1.4 million paid
NFIP claims per year by year of loss. Hover or tap a bar for the count and amount paid. 2026 is partial.
Show as a table
YearClaimsPaid
2026174$1.4 million
2025206$6.0 million
2024589$16.7 million
2023299$9.3 million
2022114$1.8 million
20212,247$117.1 million
20201,302$44.1 million
2019707$20.2 million
20182,145$50.4 million
2017532$10.1 million
2016292$4.9 million
2015253$2.5 million
2014713$17.0 million
2013782$12.7 million
2012398$3.8 million
201110,592$356.3 million
20101,410$19.8 million
2009686$14.4 million
2008224$1.7 million
2007509$4.5 million
20064,281$126.3 million
20052,116$61.0 million
200410,120$210.7 million
20031,094$10.4 million
2002138$905,537
2001689$26.1 million
2000631$7.0 million
19992,581$63.4 million
1998220$750,233
1997452$3.5 million
199611,075$138.3 million
1995212$1.1 million
1994855$5.7 million
19931,238$7.9 million
1992168$1.3 million
1991176$1.4 million
1990414$2.0 million
1989564$3.4 million
1988144$578,182
1987618$3.8 million
1986616$2.8 million
19851,177$6.8 million
19842,726$10.1 million
19831,311$4.4 million
1982737$6.2 million
19811,168$3.5 million
1980738$2.1 million
19794,577$12.0 million
19782,050$4.9 million

Biggest flood events by NFIP payments

The flood events FEMA's claims data names most often for Pennsylvania, ranked by what the NFIP paid. FEMA names events in its claims records; claims without an event name aren't included here.

EventYearClaimsPaid
Tropical Storm Lee20117,866$302.7 million
Tropical Storm Ivan20048,147$183.1 million
Flooding19969,654$121.4 million
Hurricane Ida20211,809$108.0 million
Hurricane Floyd19991,759$54.3 million
Hurricane Isaias20201,086$39.9 million
Hurricane Irene20111,476$39.8 million
Tropical Storm Allison2001548$25.1 million
Mid-spring storms2014356$10.7 million
Torrential rain2005282$9.1 million

Flood history by county

Every Pennsylvania county in FEMA's data, sorted by number of NFIP claims since 1978. "Insured" is the share of homes with an NFIP policy.

CountyClaimsPaidInsuredFlood declarations
Montgomery County6,200$185.3 million0.9%6
Bucks County5,260$149.8 million1.2%6
Dauphin County5,248$86.1 million1.2%4
Allegheny County4,832$81.6 million0.4%2
Luzerne County4,147$93.9 million3.3%6
Lycoming County3,878$58.3 million1.7%7
Delaware County3,034$57.2 million0.7%4
Columbia County2,200$63.2 million1.9%6
Lancaster County2,106$32.8 million0.4%4
Chester County1,914$37.6 million0.6%5
York County1,753$20.7 million0.5%3
Northumberland County1,721$24.2 million1.0%4
Philadelphia County1,700$47.6 million0.3%4
Westmoreland County1,612$21.6 million0.5%1
Cumberland County1,600$16.9 million0.7%3
Northampton County1,561$48.4 million0.6%6
Lackawanna County1,369$20.5 million1.2%8
Berks County1,313$23.6 million0.5%6
Wyoming County1,189$28.6 million1.6%10
Bedford County1,185$13.4 million0.9%3
Washington County1,131$21.1 million0.5%1
Blair County1,117$8.5 million1.1%3
Schuylkill County1,041$26.3 million1.0%6
Lebanon County1,005$15.9 million0.4%4
Lehigh County967$12.4 million0.4%2
Union County927$11.8 million2.0%4
Clinton County911$8.2 million2.2%3
Snyder County904$12.4 million1.4%3
Bradford County898$24.8 million1.6%10
Butler County874$15.4 million0.5%1
Beaver County832$13.7 million0.3%1
Cambria County802$3.2 million0.6%3
Perry County749$7.4 million0.9%4
Fayette County722$10.1 million0.3%2
Clearfield County537$5.9 million0.6%3
Huntingdon County531$8.8 million1.3%4
Erie County512$6.0 million0.3%1
Susquehanna County506$13.4 million1.1%9
Mifflin County487$3.9 million0.8%3
Armstrong County437$6.2 million0.7%2
Monroe County436$14.8 million0.5%5
Venango County429$5.9 million0.4%3
Adams County400$6.7 million0.7%4
Somerset County395$2.6 million0.9%2
Indiana County387$2.4 million0.5%3
Jefferson County373$7.7 million0.4%2
Centre County339$3.0 million0.5%4
Crawford County330$1.7 million0.7%3
Elk County322$8.3 million0.4%2
Greene County265$3.5 million0.7%1
Tioga County234$3.5 million1.3%8
Wayne County221$4.7 million0.5%8
Pike County219$3.0 million0.4%3
Lawrence County207$2.0 million0.3%3
Clarion County189$2.9 million0.3%2
Franklin County188$1.1 million0.4%3
Juniata County178$1.1 million0.6%3
McKean County158$1.0 million1.1%2
Montour County154$3.2 million1.0%5
Sullivan County134$3.9 million1.0%10
Warren County126$1.1 million0.7%2
Mercer County120$880,0010.1%2
Carbon County94$450,7880.5%3
Potter County90$1.1 million1.3%3
Cameron County73$531,9391.7%2
Fulton County16$362,8460.3%2
Forest County14$193,5660.3%2

Flood-related FEMA disaster declarations in Pennsylvania

Declarations since 2000 that FEMA lists as involving flooding. "Help for individuals" means FEMA's Individual Assistance was approved for at least part of the area.

DeclarationDeclaredEventHelp for individuals
DR-4815-PA Sep 11, 2024 Tropical Storm Debby Yes
DR-4408-PA Nov 27, 2018 Severe Storms and Flooding No
DR-4292-PA Dec 2, 2016 Severe Storms and Flooding No
DR-4149-PA Oct 1, 2013 Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding No
DR-4030-PA Sep 12, 2011 Tropical Storm Lee Yes
EM-3340-PA Sep 8, 2011 Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee No
DR-4003-PA Jul 13, 2011 Severe Storms and Flooding No
DR-1684-PA Feb 23, 2007 Severe Storms and Flooding No
DR-1649-PA Jun 30, 2006 Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides Yes
DR-1587-PA Apr 14, 2005 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1555-PA Sep 19, 2004 Severe Storms and Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances Yes
DR-1538-PA Aug 6, 2004 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1497-PA Sep 26, 2003 Tropical Storms Henri and Isabel and Related Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1485-PA Aug 23, 2003 Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding Yes
DR-1383-PA Jun 21, 2001 Tropical Storm Allison Yes

What to do with this

A county's history doesn't tell you your own building's risk. To see your property's flood zone, use FEMA's flood map lookup. To weigh coverage, start with do I need flood insurance? and what flood insurance costs.

Where these numbers come from

All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:

FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.