36 flood insurance claims·$115,489 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 Ravalli County, Montana. 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.
River flooding and flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominate the flood history of Ravalli County, backed by 21 recorded flood events and 9 flash flood events over the last 30 years, resulting in 1 death. Severe weather impacts have included a July 2021 flash flood where a strong thunderstorm outflow boundary uprooted trees, caused power outages, and damaged roofs. Spring flooding is driven by a combination of heavy rainfall and mountain snowpack melting, such as in May 2018 when snowpack reached up to 200% of normal, and May 2020 when 1 to 2 inches of widespread rainfall combined with high elevation snowmelt to cause small stream flooding and river rises.
NFIP insurance claims data demonstrates that properties across multiple zones experience financial losses. Zone X leads with 14 claims averaging a $5,529 payout and an average recorded water depth of 34 inches, while Zone X unshaded recorded 9 claims averaging a $2,771 payout and an average water depth of 2 inches. Zone A recorded 5 claims with an average payout of $1,829 and an average water depth of 5 inches, Zone D recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $10,517 and an average water depth of 1 inch, and Zone X shaded recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $1,312 and an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners and real estate agents in Zone X and Zone A should pay the closest attention to these risks.
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 10 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 20 claims and $38,562 paid, the year of Severe Storms,ice Jams, Snow Melt, Flooding.
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 Ravalli County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Montana flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1996, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Lolo Peak Fire | Aug 17, 2017 |
| Roaring Lion Fire | Aug 1, 2016 |
| Ice Jams And Flooding | Mar 1, 2014 |
| Sawtooth Fire | Sep 10, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 4, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Southwestern Zone Two Fire Complex | Aug 5, 2000 |
| Wildfires | Jul 13, 2000 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 21 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2021 | $15,000 |
| Flood | May 20, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 10, 2018 | $1,000 |
| Flood | May 8, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jun 13, 2017 | $30,000 |
| Flood | May 27, 2014 | — |
| Flood | May 24, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Feb 12, 2014 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 1, 2021. A strong outflow boundary from thunderstorms moving north out of the Bitterroot Valley uprooted trees, created power outages, and damaged roofs.
Flood · May 20, 2020. Widespread rainfall of 1 to 2 inches, combined with high elevation snow melt, brought small stream flooding and river rises.
Flood · May 10, 2018. The combination of above normal mountain snow-pack up to 200% of normal and warmer than normal temperatures in the month of May led to continued and new river flooding. Missoula County reported that the tally for damage was to the amount of $450,000.
Flood · May 8, 2018. The combination of above normal mountain snow-pack up to 200% of normal and warmer than normal temperatures in the month of May led to continued and new river flooding. Missoula County reported that the tally for damage was to the amount of $450,000.
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 Ravalli 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.