106 flood insurance claims·$971,193 paid·7 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 Navajo 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 and tropical moisture systems dominates the flood profile of Navajo County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 113 flash flood events compared to 31 general flood events, which included one fatality.
Recent events illustrate this pattern. In August 2024, ample monsoon moisture and slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rain and flash flooding to locations across northern Arizona. Subsequently, in October 2025, remnant moisture from tropical cyclones Priscilla and Raymond interacted with west coast troughs, producing heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, and creek and stream level rises that caused flash flooding.
Property owners and real estate professionals should review their specific FEMA flood zones, as claims data shows risk extends across multiple designations. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 40 claims with an average payout of $8,651 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Zone A saw 37 claims averaging $19,378 with an average recorded water depth of 10 inches, while Zone X logged 20 claims with an average payout of $11,204 and an average recorded water depth of 18 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED and Zone X_SHADED recorded 5 and 4 claims respectively, with average payouts of $14,185 and $17,010, and average recorded water depths of 4 inches and 1 inch. Residents in unmapped or moderate-to-high risk zones should pay close attention to these historical claim patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Navajo County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
46 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 7 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 1978, with 37 claims and $308,993 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.
12 NOAA storm reports from Navajo County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Arizona flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 22, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Jan 18, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 25, 2006 |
| Potato Fire | Jun 12, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Dec 28, 2004 |
| Kinishba Fire | Jul 13, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
144 since 1996: 113 flash floods and 31 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Oct 12, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 3, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 2, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2023 | — · 1 killed |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 15, 2025. Heavy monsoon rain caused flash flooding in Winslow. A brief landspout tornado also formed.
Flood · Oct 12, 2025. Remnant moisture from two tropical cyclones, Priscilla and Raymond moved into the state of Arizona. Two west coast troughs interacted with this remnant moisture and provided ample lift and shear for heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. The rain led to creek and stream level rises and some flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Sep 3, 2025. Heavy monsoon rains caused flash flooding in a couple of areas.
Flash Flood · Jul 2, 2025. Deep tropical monsoon moisture interacted with an approaching upper level low moving towards the southern California coastline to bring strong thunderstorms and flash flooding to the region.
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 Navajo 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.