29 flood insurance claims·$101,571 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 Canyon 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 1 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 1979, with 13 claims and $39,095 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.
1 NOAA storm reports from Canyon County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Idaho flood stories →
4 federal disaster declarations since 2005, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Mar 29, 2017 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
12 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 13, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 5, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Mar 6, 2017 | $250,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2017 | $750,000 |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2017 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2013 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2012 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2005 | $50,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 13, 2023. A nearly stationary upper level low over the Four Corners region brought periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms which caused localized urban flooding in south central Idaho. Rainfall totals were around 0.50 inches, but the previous days rainfall made areas more prone to localized flooding.
Flood · Jun 5, 2022. Moist and unstable southwest flow moved into the region early on Sunday, June 5th. Favorable upper level dynamics combined with sufficient daytime heating led to several rounds of long-lasting severe thunderstorms through the overnight hours.
Flood · Mar 6, 2017. The Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation increased regulated flows from Lucky Peak Reservoir putting the Boise River in flood for the remainder of the month of March. Flooding was expected to continue through late spring.
Flood · May 1, 2017. The Boise River continued to be in flood during the entire month of May due to planned release at Lucky Peak.
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 Canyon 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.