41
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.1M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Carbon County, Pennsylvania: 41 recorded events between 1996 and 2021. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #797 nationally and #38 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Carbon County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Carbon County is the 2000s, when 21 of the county's 41 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 Carbon County archive, flash flood makes up 12.1% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #797 for this hazard and #38 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 73.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for flash flood in Carbon County with 12 recorded events, while Feb 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 18, 2004 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2021 | LEHIGH GAP | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2015 | CHRISTMANS | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2015 | MECKESVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| May 31, 2015 | NEW MAHONING | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 28, 2013 | NORMAL | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 18, 2012 | HAUTO | 0 | $0 |
| May 29, 2012 | PALMERTON | 0 | $0 |
| May 26, 2012 | HAUTO | 0 | $10K |
| May 26, 2012 | BLACK CREEK JCT | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2011 | BEAVER MEADOWS | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Carbon County
- Thunderstorm Wind 185
- Hail 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused flash flooding of smaller streams as well as extensive poor drainage flooding in Lansford and Summit Hill Boroughs and the northwest part of Mahoning Township. Roadways were closed and many basements were flooded. In Summit Hill, Pennsylvania State Route 902 was shut down for two and a half hours because of debris and rocks pushed onto the roadway. A portion of Oak Street was also closed. Firefighters responded to thirty-six calls of flooded basements. The annual Stay At Home Festival never opened because volunteers had to rebuild the stands and the field was swamped by flood waters. In Lansford, there was four feet of water on U.S. Route 209 and one motorist had to be rescued. Other roadways in the borough were damaged by flooding as asphalt was washed away. A storm total measurement of 7.40 inches was measured in Lansford.
Runoff from heavy rain led to flooding of streams in the central part of Carbon County in Franklin and Penn Forest Townships and also in Beaver Meadows Borough in the northwest part of the county. Sections of U.S. Route 209 and Maury Road were closed in Franklin and State Forest Townships. Storm totals included 2.04 inches in Lehighton.
Repeated showers and thunderstorms with very heavy rain caused flash flooding of smaller streams and roadways in Penn Forest and Kidder Townships. Roadway flooding was reported in Penn Forest Township. Precipitation event totals included 3.36 inches in Albrightsville, 3.22 inches in Meckesville and 2.76 inches in Christmans.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
41 flash flood events are recorded in Carbon County between 1996 and 2021, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Carbon County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Carbon County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Carbon 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 Carbon County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/carbon-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.