8 flood insurance claims·$1,511 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 White Pine County, Nevada. 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 and spring snowmelt dominates the flood character of White Pine County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 22 flash flood events and 6 general flood events. Recent incidents demonstrate these varying seasonal causes. In March 2023, an atmospheric river brought valley rain and mountain snow, resulting in snowmelt and localized flooding. Later, in August 2015, a flash flood dropped 1.35 inches of rain in two hours near Baker, causing the loss of 1,500 fish at the Spring Creek fish hatchery. Additional events include heavy rain and debris flows from slow-moving training storms in August 2021, and flooding driven by wet and dry thunderstorms in June 2021.
Federal flood insurance claims data shows limited historical payouts, primarily concentrated in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Specifically, Zone A accounts for 7 claims with an average payout of $1,121 and an average recorded water depth of 10 inches. An additional claim in an unknown zone averaged $390 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents with properties located within Zone A should pay the closest attention to these flood 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 1991, with 2 claims and $0 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.
7 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Jan 6, 2005 |
| Record And/or Near Record Snow | Dec 29, 2004 |
| Drought | Jun 11, 1977 |
| Flooding | Apr 19, 1969 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
28 since 1996: 22 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 15, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Jun 30, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2015 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2014 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Mar 15, 2023. Another in a series of AR events brought valley rain, mountain snow, and high winds. Due to the valley rain, some snowmelt occurred leading to localized flooding.
Flash Flood · Aug 13, 2022. Heavy rain from a good monsoonal push, caused flash flooding in eastern Nevada.
Flash Flood · Aug 5, 2022. Multiple locations reported a combination of brief heavy rain, flooding, or debris flows.
Flood · Jun 30, 2021. A mix of wet and dry thunderstorms caused heavy rain and flooding, as well as strong outflow wind gusts.
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 White Pine 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.