340 flood insurance claims·$3.3M 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 Yolo 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.
Prolonged riverine flooding driven by winter storms dominates the historical flood record in Yolo County, California, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 57 general flood events compared to only 1 flash flood over the last 30 years. Winter storms bring heavy rain ranging from 1 to 6 inches, mountain snow, and high winds that cause road flooding, mud and rock accumulation, and rising river, creek, and stream levels. For example, a major winter storm in February 2024 brought heavy rain, urban and road flooding, rising waterways, and fatal conditions. A subsequent winter storm in February 2025 brought 1 to 6 inches of rain, heavy mountain snow, and flooded, mud-covered roads.
Federal flood insurance claims data shows impacts across multiple zones, with the highest concentration in Zone A, which accumulated 247 claims with an average payout of $12,059 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. However, properties in Zone X experienced higher average severity, recording 27 claims with an average payout of $23,024 and an average water depth of 30 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located in Zone A and Zone X, where historical claims indicate recurring financial losses and significant water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Yolo County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
308 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 1995, with 132 claims and $1.0M paid, the year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud Flows and Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow.
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.
23 NOAA storm reports from Yolo County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the California flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 24, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jan 18, 2017 |
| Wragg Fire | Jul 22, 2015 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
58 since 1996: 1 flash floods and 57 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 26, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Dec 24, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Nov 22, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Nov 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Feb 19, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Feb 5, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Dec 26, 2025. A prolonged period of wet weather brought heavy snowfall and strong winds to the Sierra Nevada. Heaviest snowfall was observed from 12/24-12/26 when snow levels came down below the mountain passes. Snowfall measurements over the 12/24-12/26 timeframe were around 2-5 ft per Caltrans, Ski resorts, and UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. Southerly wind gusts of 50-80 mph were observed as well across the Valley, foot…
Flood · Feb 13, 2025. A strong winter storm from late February 12th into Friday, February 14th brought heavy snow, rain, and gusty winds. This brought from 1 to 6 inches of rain, with totals of 2 to nearly 4 feet of heavy snow above 4500 feet. Gusty southerly wind gusts of 25 to 50 mph in the Valley, 40 to 60 mph in the mountains and foothills were recorded. Roads were reported to be flooded, as well as covered with mud and rocks in so…
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…
Flood · Nov 22, 2024. Another weather system brought continued periods of heavy mountain snow with mountain travel delays and chain restrictions, widespread rain with flooding impacts, and gusty winds in the from November 22nd through November 26th.
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 Yolo 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.