8 flood insurance claims·$15,610 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 Morrow County, Oregon. 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 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 1982, with 3 claims and $11,543 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 Morrow County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Oregon flood stories →
10 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Battle Mountain Fire Complex | Jul 21, 2024 |
| Lone Rock Fire | Jul 17, 2024 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 26, 2003 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Land And Mudslides, Flooding | Dec 25, 1996 |
| High Winds, Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 4, 1996 |
| Drought | Apr 29, 1977 |
| Heavy Rains & Flooding | Dec 24, 1964 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
8 since 1996: 6 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 9, 2019 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Oct 9, 2018 | $3,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 23, 2012 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2011 | $94,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 2, 2011 | $70,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 22, 2006 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 23, 2005 | $2,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 7, 2023. An upper shortwave moving across the region on August 7th resulted in convective showers and thunderstorms developing across the forecast area. In the morning, a convective shower moved over the town of Ione, Oregon with a heavy downpour that resulted in flash flooding across the town.
Flood · Apr 9, 2019. Snow water equivalents near 200% of normal in the Blue Mountains coupled with warm temperatures and near record rainfall totals for April produced significant river flooding across eastern Oregon.
Flood · Oct 9, 2018. Moist upslope flow into the Blue Mountains produced heavy rain with rainfall rates of up to one inch per hour and storm total accumulations between one and three inches. Localized flooding was reported near the town of Heppner where water inside a residence forced an evacuation.
Flash Flood · Apr 23, 2012. An upper level disturbance moving north on the back side of an upper level ridge combined with a very moist atmosphere to produce local severe thunderstorms and flooding.
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 Morrow 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.