115 flood insurance claims·$641,326 paid·3 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Cochise County, Arizona. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk in Cochise County, accounting for 220 events and 14 deaths over the last 30 years compared to 14 standard flood events.
Recent activity illustrates this hazard. During an active monsoon period from September 12 to September 13, severe thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall across Southeastern Arizona. Later that month, on September 25, severe thunderstorms caused locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding, resulting in a swift water rescue of five individuals near Tombstone and 8 to 12 inches of water flowing underneath the Bowie underpass. Earlier, from October 11 to October 14, an influx of tropical moisture from tropical storms Pricilla and Raymond brought showers and thunderstorms to the region.
Residents across multiple zones should pay attention to flood risk, particularly those in Zone A, which accounts for the highest number of NFIP claims with 69 claims averaging a payout of $11,633 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. Properties in Zone X, Zone X shaded, Zone X unshaded, and unknown zones also show documented risk, recording claims with average payouts ranging from $4,924 to $16,429 and average recorded water depths between 1 and 4 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
16% of Cochise County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
82 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1999, with 10 claims and $58,927 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, High Winds.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
51 NOAA storm reports from Cochise County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Arizona flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Lizard Fire | Jun 7, 2017 |
| Monument Fire | Jun 12, 2011 |
| Horseshoe Two Fire | May 8, 2011 |
| Mule Pass Fire | May 18, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Ash Fire | Jun 21, 2003 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Oct 21, 2000 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, High Winds | Sep 14, 1999 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
234 since 1996: 220 flash floods and 14 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 31, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2025 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2025 | $500 |
| Flood | Jul 18, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2025 | $2,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2025. Thunderstorms were slow moving and allowed for heavy rainfall to cause flash flooding in Saint David and Arivaca, AZ where running washed flowed over roadways.
Flash Flood · Aug 31, 2025. Strong thunderstorms moved southwestward from New Mexico into San Simon that lofted areas of blowing dust creating a dust storm. Additionally, the heavy rainfall from the thunderstorm activity damaged two roadways that were closed for an unknown duration of time.
Flash Flood · Sep 25, 2025. Severe thunderstorms moved across Southeastern Arizona causing strong winds, hail ranging from 0.75 to 1.0 inches in diameter, and locally heavy rainfall that led to flash flooding. A swift water rescue occurred near Tombstone involving 5 individuals with no injuries. Additionally, an estimated 8 to 12 inches of water flowed underneath the Bowie underpass roadway shown on webcam.
Flash Flood · Jul 22, 2025. Thunderstorms moved northward through Pima and Cochise counties and produced heavy rainfall with reported totals ranging from 0.10 to 1.0 inches. The heavy rainfall closed multiple roadways in Tucson, Saint David, Tombstone, and Sierra Vista.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Cochise County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.