34 flood insurance claims·$618,103 paid·3 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 Benewah 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.
River overflow dominates the flood profile of Benewah County, accounting for 37 out of 38 recorded storm events over the last 30 years, alongside a single flash flood event.
Historical events illustrate this riverine risk, driven primarily by heavy rain and mountain snowmelt. In May 2018, spring snowmelt caused the St. Joe River to rise to minor flood stage, inundating valley bottom lands and fields. Similarly, in March 2017, a series of wet Pacific storms and rapid low-elevation snowmelt led to extensive flooding along the St. Joe River, impacting roads, outbuildings, and yards, causing first-floor flooding in a few residences and businesses in St. Maries, and requiring emergency repairs to stabilize a local levee.
Properties located near rivers and within designated Special Flood Hazard Areas should pay the most attention to this risk. FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records show that Zone A properties experienced the highest impact, logging 24 claims with an average payout of $26,149 and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Unshaded Zone X properties recorded 8 claims with an average payout of $8,563 and an average water depth of 4 inches, while Zone X properties recorded 2 claims with an average payout and water depth of 0 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
25% of Benewah County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
32 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 12 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 17 claims and $527,265 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding and 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.
13 NOAA storm reports from Benewah County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Idaho flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Straight-line Winds | Jan 13, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Mar 6, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 16, 2015 |
| Severe Storm And Straight-line Wind | Nov 17, 2015 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Snowmelt, Land/mud Slides, Flooding | Mar 14, 1997 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud And Landslides | Nov 16, 1996 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 6, 1996 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
38 since 1996: 1 flash floods and 37 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 7, 2018 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2017 | $500,000 |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2017 | $400,000 |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2017 | $200,000 |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2017 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2017 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Dec 8, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Feb 12, 2014 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 7, 2018. Spring time mountain snow melt caused the St. Joe River to rise to a minor flood level during the second and third weeks of May. No structures were affected but bottom lands and fields in the river valley were inundated.
Flood · Mar 15, 2017. March was a very wet month over the Idaho Panhandle. A series of moist Pacific storm systems brought periodic heavy rain to the region in addition to warmer temperatures which quickly melted low elevation snow pack. Bonners Ferry recorded 4.58 inches of precipitation for the month which was 2.92 inches above normal. Coeur D'Alene received 4.38 inches which was 2.04 inches above normal and The University of Idaho a…
Flood · Mar 15, 2017. Periodic heavy rain and mountain snow melt caused the St. Joe River the flood. Extensive flooding of fields, roads, outbuildings and yards of residences and businesses in the river bottom lands occurred. A few residences and businesses experienced first floor flooding as well. Emergency repairs were needed to stabilize a threatened levee in the town of St. Maries.
Flood · Mar 14, 2017. Low elevation snow melt combined with periods of heavy rain during the second week of March forced the Palouse River to Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding of fields, parks and roads in the river bottom occurred.
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 Benewah 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.