Blog · October 14, 2026 · Pennsylvania
Using the Scranton Flood Zone Map
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Moosic.
Main page: Lackawanna County, PA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Before you buy or build near Old Forge, pull up the Scranton flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, permits and resale. In this Scranton guide: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and pairing it with the Lackawanna County GISViewer Parcels.
Where the Scranton flood zone map lives
Start with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: type an address near Dunmore, and pick the FIRMette or map view. Vacant ground around Dunmore can still be found: zoom in from Interstate 84 then click the parcel area.
The viewer Lackawanna County publishes
Go first to the Lackawanna County GISViewer Parcels; it includes every assessed parcel from Old Forge to Dunmore. When a rural tract has no street number, follow Interstate 84 on the aerial until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want. In and around Old Forge, a pop-up or side panel usually lists the owner of record, assessed acreage, the parcel number and in many cases the last transfer.
Where Scranton fits in
Scranton sits in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, and the county assessor maps its lots. As the county seat, Scranton hosts the courthouse, so deeds and plats are filed in town. For a tract near Dickson City, City or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, while the county keeps the tax map. Land beyond the town limits toward Moosic generally answers to county rules, not municipal ones.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
Lackawanna County meets Luzerne County, Monroe County, Susquehanna County, Wayne County, and Wyoming County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Dunmore can be split in two county records, so open the neighboring map too. With a lot near Moosic, our state page lists each bordering county map for Pennsylvania.
Which office to call
For assessment questions about property around Old Forge go to the county assessment office, the office behind the parcel record. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Throop need the planning or permitting office, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
What the zone letters mean
An AE label carries a published BFE, while plain Zone A does not; builders around Dickson City design to it. If you're looking near Dunmore, a low-risk label isn't a guarantee: according to FEMA, floods happen outside mapped zones too.
Beyond the mapped zones
Low-lying fields near Dunmore aren't always studied in detail, so look for water marks and debris lines. Marshy spots near Old Forge can limit building too; the National Wetlands Inventory mapper shows mapped wetlands.
Questions to ask before you buy
Ask the listing agent for any Elevation Certificate for the house near Taylor; an insurance quote early avoids surprises.
On site with the map
Most viewers work in a phone browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Dickson City, so load it before you lose signal. A printout of the tract near Throop is a good backup.
Sections, lots and bearings
Older tracts around Dickson City commonly use metes-and-bounds descriptions, which trace the boundary call by call. Town lots near Dunmore refer to a recorded plat, which is simpler to follow. Keep the legal description for land near Moosic before you request a deed or survey.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
FEMA's map shows zones but not ownership, so pair it with the Lackawanna County GISViewer Parcels to confirm you have the right parcel near Throop.
Money questions tied to the zone
If the land is near Old Forge, get the Elevation Certificate if one exists: it compares the building to the BFE. Remodeling a house in a zone near Dunmore can trigger elevation rules; call the permitting office before you plan.
Places you'll see on the map
Scranton holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. You'll also find Taylor, Dunmore, Moosic, and Throop. Around 216,123 people live in Lackawanna County (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) spread over some 459 square miles. Lackawanna County was formed in 1878, and some chains of title near Dunmore are long. Features like Lake Scranton and Lackawanna State Park help you orient on the aerial around Old Forge.
Frequently asked
What if the flood map is wrong for my lot near Dickson City?
Usually, you can ask FEMA for a LOMA if surveyed elevations show the building near Moosic is above the BFE, and lenders accept the result.
Is my property near Throop in a flood zone?
For most people, search the address near Taylor on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center; no account is needed.
Will my lender require flood insurance near Throop?
Good question; lenders generally require it for buildings near Throop in a Special Flood Hazard Area when the loan is federally regulated or insured; outside those zones it's your call.
Do I need to worry about flooding in Zone X for land near Old Forge?
It depends, but Zone X near Dunmore means moderate (shaded) or minimal (unshaded) mapped risk; many owners near Taylor buy coverage anyway.
Does the parcel map work on a phone in Scranton?
Most viewers run in a mobile browser; load it before you lose coverage near Dickson City.
Open the official Lackawanna County, PA parcel map See it 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.