Parcel Explorer now includes a county-wide FEMA flood zones overlay — so you can see whether an address sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), a floodway, or a moderate-risk 0.2% annual chance zone along the Lackawanna River corridor and its tributaries.

Try it: Open Parcel Explorer → Layers → FEMA flood zones (off by default). Select any parcel for flood details in the parcel panel.

What do the colors mean?

On the map, flood hazard areas use a high-contrast palette that stays readable on aerial imagery:

Blue — high-risk SFHA (1% annual chance / “100-year” flood)
Red — floodway (the channel plus land that must stay clear to carry the base flood)
Orange — 0.2% annual chance (“500-year”) moderate risk

The overlay is visual only — tapping the map still selects parcels first. Flood details live in the parcel detail panel so mobile and multi-layer use stay manageable.

Flood details on every parcel

Select a parcel and open FEMA flood zone in the detail panel. You’ll see the mapped zone (for example AE or A99), whether it’s an SFHA, base flood elevation or depth when FEMA publishes them, a plain-language explainer, the effective FIRM date, and a link to the FEMA Map Service Center. From the same card you can show or hide the county flood overlay.

How do I turn the overlay on?

Open Parcel Explorer, tap Layers (bottom left), and check FEMA flood zones. A short legend appears under the toggle. Zoom in a bit if the fills haven’t appeared yet — the layer is designed for neighborhood and corridor views, not just county overview.

Who is this for?

Homebuyers and owners checking flood insurance context, realtors and lenders screening addresses before a formal determination, journalists and researchers mapping river-corridor risk, and anyone exploring how Scranton, Taylor, Moosic, and neighboring communities sit relative to mapped floodplains.

Thank you

Thanks to everyone who asked for flood context on Parcel Explorer — keep the feedback coming.

Data notes

Flood polygons come from the FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) for Lackawanna County (DFIRM community 42069C). The effective FIRM date shown with the overlay is August 5, 2020. County-wide “area of minimal flood hazard” Zone X fills are omitted from the map overlay so the river corridor stays readable; parcel details still report minimal-hazard status when that is what the FIRM shows at the parcel’s interior point.

This overlay is informational only — not an official flood determination. For lending, insurance, or legal decisions, obtain a flood zone determination from FEMA’s Map Service Center or a licensed professional. Lackawanna Connect is an independent local publisher and is not affiliated with FEMA, the NFIP, or Lackawanna County government.

About Lackawanna Connect

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