6 flood insurance claims·$60,127 paid·4 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 Montrose County, Colorado. 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 and river floods shape the flood profile of Montrose County, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 23 flash flood events and 17 flood events over the last 30 years. Seasonal flood events are driven by phenomena such as above-normal temperatures accelerating snowmelt from near-record snowpacks, producing high and fast flows on regional rivers and drainages. This dynamic was demonstrated in April 2023 and May 2023, when accelerated runoff compromised various low-lying areas, county roads, and bridges across multiple Western Colorado counties.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate historical claims across different zones. Properties located in Zone A experienced 3 claims with an average payout of $12,937 and an average recorded water depth of 52 inches. Additionally, Zone X (Unshaded) recorded 2 claims averaging $2,368 with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch, while Zone X logged 1 claim with an average payout of $31,885 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated near rivers, drainages, and low-lying areas, particularly those within Zone A where higher average water depths and payouts have been historically recorded.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 26 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 2016, with 1 claims and $31,885 paid.
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 Montrose County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Colorado flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Co - Burn Canyon Fire - 07/15/02 | Jul 14, 2002 |
| Wildfires | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding | Jul 27, 1984 |
| Drought | Jan 29, 1977 |
| Flooding & Landslides | Jul 6, 1973 |
| Heavy Rains & Flooding | Sep 22, 1970 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
40 since 1996: 23 flash floods and 17 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 25, 2023 | $2,000 |
| Flood | May 24, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flood | May 23, 2023 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 18, 2023 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 16, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Aug 14, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2023 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2023 | $2,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 25, 2023. Increased snowmelt from warm temperatures caused flooding in Montrose County.
Flood · May 24, 2023. Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures and precipitation produced high and fast flow on drainages in several west-central counties. As a result, flooding compromised various low-lying roads in the counties.
Flood · May 23, 2023. Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures and precipitation produced high and fast flow on drainages in several west-central counties. As a result, flooding compromised various low-lying roads in the counties.
Flood · May 18, 2023. Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures produced high and fast flow on drainages in several counties across the Western Slope. As a result, flooding compromised various low-lying roads and areas. This included some lanes along I-70 west of Fruita, Colorado.
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 Montrose 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.