Blog · October 14, 2026 · Pennsylvania
Northumberland County Flood Zone Map (Pennsylvania)
FEMA's free flood maps and the Northumberland County parcel viewer, used together for property near Marion Heights.
Main page: Northumberland County, PA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Northumberland County facts and neighboring maps).
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Land along Susquehanna River and the flats outside Sunbury are where a Northumberland County flood zone map lookup matters most. FEMA's free Flood Map Service Center and the Northumberland County parcel viewer answer it together.
Next: FEMA's search tool, the zone labels you'll see for Northumberland County, and how the parcel record confirms which tract you're on.
How to use the Northumberland County flood zone map
FEMA's official flood maps for Northumberland County are free at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Search returns the effective FIRM panel for the spot in Northumberland County, plus any pending changes FEMA has posted. For an interactive view of the county, FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer viewer draws the zones over aerial imagery and reports the zone wherever you click near Kulpmont. Switch to the Northumberland County Basemap viewer and track down the same tract close to Shamokin. If the Northumberland County viewer has a floodplain layer, treat it as a convenience copy and confirm on FEMA's map.
Step one: the free Northumberland County viewer
For land around Kulpmont, open the Northumberland County Basemap viewer; it's the map Northumberland County itself publishes. Click any Northumberland County parcel near McEwensville to open its record: owner, parcel ID and assessed acreage are typically listed. Bookmark our Northumberland County page too; it tracks the official Pennsylvania link if it moves and lists the maps around McEwensville.
Towns and land across Northumberland County
Sunbury is the county seat, and Shamokin, Herndon, Kulpmont, and Marion Heights are among the other towns on the county map. Unincorporated communities in the county, including Atlas, Dalmatia, and Dewart, display up as small groups of parcels along the roads. Northumberland County had an estimated 90,120 people in 2023 (Census Bureau), spread across about 458 square miles. Platted neighborhoods near Sunbury give way to rural acreage elsewhere in the county.
High, moderate and minimal risk in Northumberland County
For a lot in Kulpmont, the label matters more than the color: A and V zones are Special Flood Hazard Areas, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the base or 100-year flood). Where a Northumberland County tract shows Zone AE, there's a base flood elevation to compare a building against; in Zone A there isn't one. If a Northumberland County parcel shows shaded Zone X, it sits in the moderate band between the 100-year and 500-year floods. Unshaded X (or C) on the Northumberland County panel means minimal risk.
Recorded documents in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
For land near Sunbury, the deed itself lives in the county recording office, and the map is an index to it. Copy the parcel ID and legal description from the county record well before you request a deed for land near Kulpmont.
Creeks, rivers and low ground in Northumberland County
The Northumberland County landscape includes Susquehanna River, and that's where flood questions cluster. Lines on those Northumberland County parcels commonly follow the water, so part of the tract can be mapped as high risk. A low spot on a Northumberland County tract outside any mapped zone can still flood; FEMA says moderate- and low-risk areas still carry risk.
Tracts that cross the Northumberland County line
Northumberland County borders Columbia County, Dauphin County, Juniata County, Lycoming County, and Montour County, and each keeps its own parcel map and records. Every map bordering Northumberland County is listed on our Pennsylvania directory.
What a flood zone means for a Northumberland County buyer
Insurance is the practical stake for a Northumberland County buyer. If a house near Shamokin is mapped in a high-risk zone and is financed by a regulated or federally insured lender, flood insurance is mandatory, as long as Northumberland County or the town participates in the NFIP. Outside the A zones around Shamokin, federal rules do not require a policy, although some lenders require it anyway. When a Northumberland County homesite is on a rise inside a mapped zone, FEMA's LOMA process allows a review, supported by elevation data from a licensed land surveyor. Building or filling inside a mapped zone near Kulpmont has to meet local floodplain rules, so call the county or the town office in Kulpmont before work starts.
Northumberland County, PA: common questions
Can a flood zone in Northumberland County be changed?
FEMA reviews requests such as a LOMA for Northumberland County properties; start with an elevation certificate.
Is there a floodplain layer in the Northumberland County Basemap viewer?
Check the layer list in the Northumberland County Basemap viewer; if Northumberland County includes a floodplain layer, confirm the zone on FEMA's map anyway.
What is a base flood elevation for a Northumberland County property?
Near McEwensville, the base flood elevation marks how high the 100-year flood is expected to rise, and it's printed in AE zones.
Do I need flood insurance in Zone X in Northumberland County?
Not under federal rules; Zone X in Northumberland County is outside the Special Flood Hazard Area, although a lender can still require coverage.
Do I need a permit to build in the floodplain near Kulpmont?
Often, but local floodplain rules apply; ask the county or town building office in Kulpmont well before you buy.
Open the official Northumberland County, PA parcel map Northumberland County in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.