23 flood insurance claims·$990,654 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 Washington 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.
Standard river flooding dominates the flood history of Washington County, accounting for 17 of the 21 recorded flood events over the past 30 years, alongside 4 flash flood events. Significant historical impacts include an atmospheric river event from April 6 to 10, 2019, which brought 2 to 5 inches of rainfall combined with 1 to 3 inches of snowmelt, resulting in main stem river flooding, flash flooding, small stream flooding, and record or near-record crests. Additionally, heavy rain on March 9 and 10, 2014, led to minor flooding on the Weiser River near Weiser and Cambridge, while flooding along the Snake River in southern Washington County persisted through April 2017.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties in Zone A face the highest risk, registering 17 claims with an average payout of $57,030 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Properties located in Zone X also warrant attention, having recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $33,274 and an average water depth of 18 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN recorded 4 claims averaging a $3,877 payout with an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should focus their attention primarily on properties situated within Zone A and near waterways prone to river overflow, rain-driven runoff, and snowmelt.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 9 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 1997, with 9 claims and $802,548 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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Washington County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Idaho flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Feb 5, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 2, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud And Landslides | Nov 16, 1996 |
| Drought | May 5, 1977 |
| Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding | Jan 25, 1974 |
| Heavy Rains & Flooding | Dec 31, 1964 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
21 since 1996: 4 flash floods and 17 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 8, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2017 | $1.0M |
| Flood | Mar 8, 2017 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Mar 10, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 8, 2019. An Atmospheric River brought a persistent stream of moisture off the Pacific Ocean to West Central Idaho April 6-10. Rainfall totals of 2 to 5 inches were measured at many weather stations while snow melt added 1 to 3 inches of melt-water to the runoff. Main stem river flooding, flash flooding, and small stream flooding occurred during the event with record or near record crests observed on a number of waterways.…
Flood · Mar 18, 2017. Rainfall and snow melt combined to increase the flow on the Snake River to minor flood stage.
Flood · Feb 10, 2017. An ice jam on the Weiser River just south of Weiser caused flooding on U.S. Highway 95.
Flood · Mar 8, 2017. Rainfall and snow melt combined to increase the flow on the Weiser River to minor flood stage.
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 Washington 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.