1 flood insurance claims·$0 paid
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 Oneida 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 summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Oneida County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 14 flash flood events compared to 4 general flood events.
Recent history demonstrates this localized thunderstorm risk. In August 2022, extremely heavy rain with rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches caused widespread flash flooding. Earlier, in May 2018, a strong thunderstorm dropped over 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes, resulting in street flooding and flooded basements in Malad City. Winter and spring conditions also contribute to hazards, such as an extended February 2017 flood event driven by above-normal temperatures following extreme seasonal snowfall.
Federal Emergency Management Agency records for the National Flood Insurance Program show a single claim filed in Zone A, with an average payout of zero dollars and an average recorded water depth of zero inches. Property owners located in low-lying areas, near drainage paths prone to rapid thunderstorm runoff, or within designated Zone A flood zones should pay the most attention to these risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2 NOAA storm reports from Oneida County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Idaho flood stories →
3 federal disaster declarations since 2005.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
18 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 3, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2018 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Feb 5, 2017 | $278,000 |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2017 | $45,000 |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2012 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Jan 21, 2012 | $8,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Sep 3, 2023. Water ran across Old Highway 191 at several locations between Idaho 36 and Devil Creek Reservoir due to heavy rain.
Flash Flood · Aug 13, 2022. Extremely heavy rain fell with several reports of 1 to 3 inches falling. Flash flooding was widespread across southeasy Idaho.
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2021. Sustained monsoonal flow brought more flooding to southeast Idaho on July 31st.
Flash Flood · May 28, 2018. A very heavy rainfall of over 2 inches in 30 minutes from a strong thunderstorm caused basements to flood and street flooding in Malad City.
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 Oneida 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.