84
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$109.9M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania: 84 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #244 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Lackawanna County is the 2020s, when 44 of the county's 84 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Lackawanna County archive, flash flood makes up 18.9% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #244 for this hazard and #20 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 92.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in Lackawanna County with 19 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9, 2023 | CHINCHILLA | 0 | 2 | 2 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13, 2025 | WEST SCRANTON | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 13, 2025 | DUNMORE | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 13, 2025 | SCRANTON | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 13, 2025 | TAYLOR | 0 | $2K |
| Jul 14, 2025 | WEST SCRANTON | 0 | $50K |
| Jul 14, 2025 | TAYLOR | 0 | $15K |
| Jul 14, 2025 | WEST SCRANTON | 0 | $30K |
| Jul 14, 2025 | MOOSIC | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 14, 2025 | RANSOM | 0 | $10K |
| Jun 26, 2025 | DUNMORE | 0 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Lackawanna County
- Thunderstorm Wind 249
- Hail 74
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A man and woman succumbed to flash flooding as they attempted to evacuate their vehicle while stuck in the railroad overpass crossing Shady Lane. Flood waters rapidly filled their vehicle and the woman was swept downstream. The man was also swept away and sustained grave injuries after being slammed into a sign post and guardrail. He died a few days later. Severe flooding also stranded several other vehicles in this immediate area.
Heavy rain with amounts of 4.5 to 7.5 inches caused flash flooding. The rain which fell from the 16th to the 18th was due to the remnants of hurricane Ivan. All creeks and streams were out of their banks. In addition, the Lackawanna River had major flooding. Almost 1000 homes and over 30 businesses were damaged. A 40 foot deep sinkhole developed on Pittston Avenue.
Leggetts Creek flooding from South Abington Township to the Lackawanna River in Scranton. Severe flooding of residental structures on Leggett Street, Gilbert Street and Rockwell Street is occurring with evacuations underway.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania?
84 flash flood events are recorded in Lackawanna County between 1996 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Lackawanna County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Lackawanna County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Lackawanna County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/lackawanna-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.