142 flood insurance claims·$2.2M paid·6 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 Greenlee 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 floods from summer thunderstorms dominate the flood risk profile, accounting for 21 of the 26 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 5 general flood events.
Severe weather impacts have included an event on July 24, 2022, when scattered thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flash flooding in Clifton. Additionally, heavy rain upstream in New Mexico caused the Gila River to flood at Duncan on August 22, 2022, closing Highway 70 and causing minor flooding to several homes and a couple of businesses. Tropical moisture remnants, such as those from Tropical Depression Odile on September 16, 2014, have also contributed to heavy rainfall in the area.
Residents and property owners should pay the most attention based on historical insurance claims. The highest volume of claims occurred in areas with unknown flood zones, totaling 126 claims with an average payout of $17,475 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Properties located in Zone A should also remain vigilant, as they accounted for 13 claims with an average payout of $9,692 and a higher average recorded water depth of 10 inches. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED and Zone X_SHADED recorded fewer claims with lower average payouts and shallower water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 4 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 1983, with 74 claims and $1.6M paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding.
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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Greenlee County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Arizona flood stories →
13 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Wallow Fire | Jun 1, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Jan 18, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 25, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 10, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Jan 5, 1993 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 23, 1983 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Dec 21, 1978 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 24, 2022 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Aug 22, 2022 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2021 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2014 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Sep 14, 2013 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 6, 2012 | $25,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 24, 2022. Scattered thunderstorms moved northwest across southeast Arizona during the afternoon and evening. Storms produced heavy rain and flash flooding in Clifton, on the Tohono O'odham Nation and in western Pima County. Isolated flash flooding, wind damage and blowing dust occurred in other locations.
Flood · Aug 22, 2022. Heavy rain upstream in New Mexico caused the Gila River to flood at Duncan, where Highway 70 was closed, and several homes and a couple businesses experienced minor flooding. Downstream at Solomon, the bridge was partially flooded.
Flash Flood · Jul 18, 2021. Slow moving thunderstorms developed across Cochise, Graham and Greenlee counties during the afternoon. Heavy rain up to 2 inches per hour caused areas of flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Sep 16, 2014. An initial band of moisture associated with Tropical Depression Odile, once rated as strong as a Category 4 hurricane, contributed to heavy rainfall in Greenlee County on September 16th. A precipitable water value of 1.91 inches was noted on the Tucson sounding at 1200 UTC September 17th. Odile took a sharp turn to the east later that day, which limited rainfall from Tucson westward, although widespread heavy rain…
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 Greenlee 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.