23 flood insurance claims·$72,552 paid·10 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 Trinity 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 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 1996, with 10 claims and $5,978 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud 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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Trinity County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the California flood stories →
32 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Mar 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 21, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 27, 2022 |
| Monument Fire | Aug 17, 2021 |
| Wildfires | Jul 14, 2021 |
| Wildfires | Aug 14, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 24, 2019 |
| Carr Fire | Jul 23, 2018 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
7 since 1996: 3 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2022 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Oct 24, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 21, 2021 | $3.2M |
| Flood | Mar 22, 1998 | — |
| Flood | Dec 29, 1996 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 1996 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 2, 2022. Monsoonal moisture surged northward into Northern California and a persistent low offshore brought the threat for thunderstorms the first several days of August. The 2nd of August was the peak for the thunder. A handful of special weather statements were issued over the course of several days. One storm set up over the River Complex Burn Scar from 2021 on August 2nd shortly before 6 p.m. A Flash Flood Warning was…
Flood · Oct 24, 2021. Several rounds of heavy rain occurred across northwest California from October 21st to October 25th. The first round of heavy rainfall was associated with a frontal passage, and that event yielded rainfall rates sufficient for debris flows occurring across the River Complex burn scar. The next heavy rainfall event was associated with a classic atmospheric river on October 24th. Impacts were mainly limited to nuisa…
Flash Flood · Oct 21, 2021. An atmospheric river aided in heavy rain development across the River Complex burn scar. One or possibly more debris flows occurred as a result. Removal, protective measures, and repair costs from this debris flow are estimated to be $3.2 million.
Flood · Mar 22, 1998. Small stream flooding on Coffee Creek at Trinity Center and around Hayfork in Trinity County. In Humboldt County, the Elk River flooded on the lower reaches.
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 Trinity 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.