36 flood insurance claims·$414,729 paid·2 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 Routt 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.
River and stream flooding resulting from seasonal snowmelt and rainfall dominates the flood profile of Routt County, accounting for 25 of the 26 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside a single flash flood event. Accelerated snowmelt from above-normal temperatures caused high river flows that compromised county roads and bridges in April 2023. Increased snowmelt pace later raised water levels on the Yampa River, causing multiple closures of the Yampa River Core Trail in Steamboat Springs in May 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate historical claims across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for 20 claims with an average payout of $8,800 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone X records 13 claims with an average payout of $32,673 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone X Shaded records two claims with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches, while Zone X Unshaded records one claim with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located near rivers, streams, and low-lying trails where seasonal runoff and heavy rain regularly create flood hazards.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
13% of Routt County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
23 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 2 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 2011, with 11 claims and $310,516 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.
8 NOAA storm reports from Routt County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Colorado flood stories →
6 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding | Jul 27, 1984 |
| Drought | Jan 29, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 1 flash floods and 25 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 27, 2024 | $500 |
| Flood | May 14, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Aug 25, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2023 | $1,000 |
| Flood | May 15, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2023 | $1,000 |
| Flood | May 4, 2023 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 27, 2024. As snowmelt began to pick up at the end of the month of April, increased flows on the Yampa river through the town of Steamboat Springs led to multiple and various closures of the Yampa River Core Trail.
Flood · May 14, 2024. As snow began to melt at an increased pace late in the month of May, river levels once again increased across portions of northwest Colorado. In particular, in Steamboat Springs once water levels rise above roughly 3.5 feet, portions of the Yampa River Core Trail begin to flood.
Flood · Aug 25, 2023. Remnants from decaying Tropical Storm Harold slowly exited western Colorado. This continued abundant moisture resulted in widespread showers and thunderstorms across much of the region. Storms were slow moving and produced heavy rain. As a result of the heavy rain, some localized flooding occurred in Steamboat Springs in Routt County with debris flows reported in portions of Gunnison County.
Flood · Apr 18, 2023. Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures produced high and fast flow on drainages in Routt County. As a result, flooding compromised some county roads and locations in Hayden, 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 Routt 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.