Enter any address in Kootenai County, Idaho to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow from heavy rainfall and snowmelt is the primary flood character in Kootenai County. Recent events include flooding in February and March 2022, when an atmospheric river brought heavy rain and warm temperatures causing snowmelt, leading to strong river responses. Similar conditions occurred in February 2025, with 1 to 2 inches of rain combined with snowmelt resulting in flooding around Worley, Moscow, and Plummer, and causing the Palouse River near Potlatch to crest at 17.22 feet and Paradise Creek in Moscow to crest at 11.21 feet.
Homeowners in low-lying areas, particularly those near rivers and streams, should pay close attention to flood risk. While properties in Zone A, which has seen numerous claims with significant water depths, are most commonly affected, properties in other zones have also experienced flooding and substantial payouts.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
15 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Kootenai County, Idaho has recorded 56 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 5 flash floods and 51 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1964–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jan 13, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Mar 6, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Dec 16, 2015 |
| Severe Storm And Straight-line Wind | Severe Storm | Nov 17, 2015 |
| Cape Horn Fire | Fire | Jul 5, 2015 |
| Flooding | Flood | May 15, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Snowmelt, Land/mud Slides, Flooding | Severe Storm | Mar 14, 1997 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Feb 23, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2023 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2022 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Mar 2, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2017 | 300.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2017 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 1, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 12, 2014 | 160.00K |
| Flood | Jan 11, 2014 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Mar 9, 2014 | 30.00K |
Flood — Feb 23, 2025
A strong atmospheric river moved through the region on February 23-25. Many locations across the Lower Idaho Panhandle received rain amounts 1 to 2 inches over the period. The rain combined with snow melt in the area leading to several reports of flooding around Worley, Moscow, and Plummer areas. The Palouse River near Potlatch crested at 17.22 feet. The Paradise Creek in Moscow crested at 11.2...
Flash Flood — May 27, 2023
A slow moving thunderstorm brought heavy rain to portions of Coeur D'Alene.
Flood — Jun 12, 2022
Another trough system brought a round of slow moving stratiform slow moving showers. With the abundant amount of precipitation from earlier in the month, the streams and creeks were already near bank full. The additional 1 inch of precipitation starting to create problems for low lying areas in the Southeast WA and Lower ID Panhandle.
Flood — Mar 2, 2022
The arrival of an atmospheric River, in late February and early March, brought heavy rainfall to the Pacific Northwest. The heaviest precipitation was late February 28th through March 1st. The temperatures associated with this event were warm enough to produce rain (rather than snow), but this also led to snow melt. In the central Idaho Panhandle, this produced strong responses to the rivers of...
Flood — Mar 18, 2017
Flood waters from feeding rivers and streams due to snow melt and periodic heavy rain caused Lake Coeur D'Alene to rise above Flood Stage through much of late March. Extensive flooding of park land and boater access sites was reported as well as basement flooding and minor first floor flooding in homes and businesses around the lake shore.||The Spokane River emptying Lake Coeur D' Alene, which...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Kootenai County, Idaho:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Kootenai County, Idaho that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.