Enter any address in Latah County, Idaho to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow and heavy rainfall events have been the primary drivers of flooding in Latah County over the last 30 years, with 43 flood events and 8 flash flood events recorded. For example, an atmospheric river in late February and early March 2022 brought heavy rainfall and snowmelt, causing strong responses in affected rivers. More recently, in June 2022, slow-moving showers combined with already high creek levels led to problems in low-lying areas.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that while Zone A areas have seen the most claims, properties in Zone X have experienced higher average payouts and water depths. Homeowners in flood-prone areas, particularly those located near rivers and creeks, or in zones with higher average water depths and payouts like Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
20 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Latah County, Idaho has recorded 51 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 8 flash floods and 43 river or area floods. The county has received 14 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1964–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Gwen Fire | Fire | Jul 25, 2024 |
| Texas Fire | Fire | Jul 15, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Apr 7, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Mar 6, 2017 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud And Landslides | Severe Storm | Nov 16, 1996 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 6, 1996 |
| Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens | Volcanic Eruption | May 22, 1980 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Feb 23, 2025 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2023 | 0.25K |
| Flood | Dec 26, 2022 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 3, 2022 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 17, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flood | May 17, 2020 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Feb 7, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2019 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Apr 9, 2019 | 50.00K |
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 16, 2023
A band of heavy set up in Western Latah County, South of Moscow. It caused a portion of Sand Road to washout.
Flood — Dec 26, 2022
Rain amounts near an inch and melting snow caused flooding issues in the area including Paradise Creek in Moscow.
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 3, 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...
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 Latah 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 Latah 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.