40 flood insurance claims·$115,008 paid·1 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 Bannock County, Idaho. 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 from severe weather events dominates the flood character of Bannock County, with NOAA records showing 40 flash flood events compared to 22 general flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall routinely threatens local infrastructure, as demonstrated in August 2023 when one to 2.5 inches of rain fell within three hours, causing flash flooding in Pocatello and American Falls. Similarly, heavy rainfall in May 2018 caused street flooding that closed Garrett Way and Marlu Street in Pocatello, while rising water from Rapid Creek closed Old Highway 30 in Inkom in April 2023.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that while high-risk Zone A properties recorded the highest claim volume with 18 claims averaging $5,281 and an average recorded water depth of seven inches, properties in lower-risk zones also experience losses. Zone X locations accounted for 21 claims across its shaded and unshaded designations, with average payouts ranging from $3,745 to $4,734 and average water depths between one and eight inches. Zone D recorded a single claim with a payout of $11,766 and a one-inch average water depth. Homeowners in designated high-risk zones, properties located near waterways such as Rapid Creek, and residents in moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
36% of Bannock County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
28 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 2009, with 8 claims and $48,027 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.
7 NOAA storm reports from Bannock County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Idaho flood stories →
5 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Jul 27, 2000 |
| Heavy Rains & Flooding | Dec 31, 1964 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
62 since 1996: 40 flash floods and 22 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2023 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 17, 2023 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Sep 21, 2022 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jul 4, 2025. Reports of severe weather and flooding were widespread on the 4th of July holiday.
Flash Flood · May 30, 2023. Heavy rains brought extensive street flooding in the city of Pocatello.
Flood · Apr 30, 2023. Old Hwy 30 in Inkom was closed from Holstein Street to Main Street because of flooding from Rapid Creek.
Flash Flood · Aug 17, 2023. Extremely heavy rainfall caused some flash flooding in the Pocatello area and American Falls. One to 2.5 inches of rain fell in a 3 hour time span.
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 Bannock 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.