594 flood insurance claims·$11.0M paid·9 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 Solano County, California. 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.
Solano County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by longer-duration river and general floods rather than rapid flash floods. Over the last 30 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded 41 general flood events resulting in 3 deaths, compared to just 2 flash flood events.
Winter storms and atmospheric rivers drive the primary flood hazards in the region. For example, a strong winter storm in February 2025 brought 2 to 5 inches of rain to the Valley and foothills, causing numerous reports of flooding, search and rescue efforts, and prolonged road closures. A subsequent atmospheric river in November 2025 dropped 1 to 4 inches of rain across interior northern California over 48 hours, resulting in widespread roadway flooding.
Property owners in mapped high-risk areas require the most attention, particularly those in Zone A, which accounts for the highest volume of National Flood Insurance Program claims at 314 claims with an average payout of $24,175 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. However, properties in moderate-to-low risk zones also face meaningful vulnerability; Zone X recorded 121 claims averaging $32,694 with an average recorded water depth of 9 inches, and Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 86 claims averaging $25,490 with an average recorded water depth of 5 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
24% of Solano County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
426 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 2005, with 94 claims and $4.3M paid, the year of Hurricane Katrina Evacuation and Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides.
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.
18 NOAA storm reports from Solano County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the California flood stories →
30 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 21, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jan 8, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 27, 2022 |
| Lnu Lightning Fire Complex | Aug 17, 2020 |
| Wildfires | Aug 14, 2020 |
| Atlas Fire | Oct 9, 2017 |
| Wildfires | Oct 8, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Feb 1, 2017 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
43 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 41 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Oct 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Nov 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Dec 24, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Nov 23, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Nov 20, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Mar 29, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Oct 13, 2025. An early season storm system brought moderate to heavy snowfall to portions of the southern Cascades and Sierra Nevada mainly above 6500 feet. Storm total snow amounts of 6 to 21 inches were generally observed at and above 6500 feet. Widespread precipitation also brought localized roadway flooding to the lower elevations. The storm arrived on October 13th and lasted through the very early morning hours on October…
Flood · Nov 13, 2025. An Atmospheric River in the middle of November brought light mountain snow, widespread rainfall with roadway flooding, gusty winds, and thunderstorms from November 12th through November 14th. Around 1 to 4 inches of rain were observed across interior northern California over this 48 hour period. Gusty southerly winds of 25 to 65 mph were also observed as well. 4 to 12 inches of snow was estimated to have fallen at…
Flood · Feb 4, 2025. A strong winter storm brought heavy mountain snow, moderate to heavy rain with river and roadway flooding, and gusty southerly winds February 3rd through 5th. Multiple feet of heavy snow were observed above 5000 feet, with 2 to 5 inches of rain observed in the Valley and foothills and southerly wind gusts of up to 50 mph. There were numerous reports of flooding in the Valley that led to multiple search and rescue…
Flood · Dec 24, 2024. Multiple waves of precipitation brought periods of heavy rain, mountain snow and gusty winds to interior Northern California over the Christmas holiday and through the end of the month. Storm total snow amounts of 10 to 40 inches were measured in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades from December 24th through 29th that led to periods of chain restrictions along the mountain passes. Additionally, there…
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 Solano 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.