Enter any address in Mariposa County, California to see its FEMA flood zone
Mariposa County experiences frequent flooding, with 98 flood events and 7 flash flood events recorded in the last 30 years. These events can bring localized nuisance flooding, as seen on March 17, 2025, and February 13, 2025, when widespread precipitation and strong winds contributed to flood conditions. Flash floods have also resulted in fatalities.
Residents in Mariposa County should be aware of their flood risk. Those living in areas prone to flash flooding, or near waterways that can overflow during heavy rainfall, should pay particular attention to flood advisories and warnings.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
73 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Mariposa County, California has recorded 105 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 7 flash floods and 98 river or area floods. The county has received 24 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| French Fire | Fire | Jul 4, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Mar 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 21, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Flood | Jan 8, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Dec 27, 2022 |
| Oak Fire | Fire | Jul 22, 2022 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 24, 2019 |
| Railroad Fire | Fire | Aug 29, 2017 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 17, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 16, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 16, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 15, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 10, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2023 | 0.00K |
Flood — Mar 17, 2025
An upper trough and associated cold front pushed through central California on March 17 bringing rain, mountain snow mainly above 6000 feet and gusty winds across the West Side Hills and to portions of eastern Kern County. The precipitation arrived by the morning of March 17 and spread southward through the day. Thunderstorms broke out during the afternoon of March 17 in the cooler and unstable...
Flood — Feb 13, 2025
A large upper low pressure system and associated trough moved across California on February 13 bringing widespread moderate to heavy precipitation to the area along with damaging wind gusts. Several reports of nuisance flooding were reported on February 13. There were also several reports of trees and power lines knocked down by strong wind gusts as several station reported gusts above 60 mph a...
Flood — Jan 22, 2024
Following the departure of a storm which brought light to moderate precipitation to the area between the morning of January 20 and the early afternoon of January 21, a second system moved through central California between the late evening of January 21 and the afternoon of January 22. This system produced three quarters to an inch and a half of rainfall over Merced County and a half inch to a...
Flood — Feb 24, 2023
A large cold upper low pressure system dropped slowly southward off the California coast on February 24 and 25. This system brought 1.5 to 3 inches of liquid precipitation between the early morning of February 24 and the late morning of February 25 to the Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills as well as to the Tehachapi Mountains and the San Joaquin Valley. This was a cold storm with snow levels...
Flood — May 16, 2023
The Merced River at Pohono Bridge rose to above flood stage at 10 feet on May 16 and peaked above flood stage each day through May 31. The Merced River at Happy Isles rose to above flood stage at 8 feet on May 20 and peaked above flood stage each day through May 23.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Mariposa County, California:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Mariposa County, California that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.