348 flood insurance claims·$4.6M paid·4 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 Multnomah 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.
River flooding and general urban inundation dominate the flood profile of Multnomah County, supported by NOAA records showing 13 standard floods compared to only 2 flash flood events over the last 30 years. These events are frequently driven by atmospheric rivers and slow-moving Pacific fronts, such as the heavy rainfall in December 2015 that produced river flooding, urban flooding, small stream flooding, landslides, and sinkholes. A subsequent series of slow-moving fronts in January 2021 brought heavy rain and strong winds that resulted in coastal, river, and urban flooding alongside landslides and debris flows.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that claims occur across multiple zones, with high payouts and significant recorded water depths appearing outside traditional high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 154 claims with an average payout of $21,510 and an average recorded water depth of 13 inches. Zone X recorded 68 claims with an average payout of $12,934 and an average water depth of 4 inches, while Shaded Zone X accounts for 33 claims with an average payout of $37,150 and an average water depth of 13 inches. Unshaded Zone X logged 44 claims with an average payout of $21,885 and an average water depth of 9 inches, and zones classified as unknown represent 49 claims with an average payout of $8,556 and an average water depth of 15 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, Shaded Zone X, and unshaded Zone X, where average payouts and recorded water depths are notably high during heavy rain and river overflow events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
33% of Multnomah County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
231 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 12 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 1996, with 132 claims and $2.7M paid, the year of High Winds, Severe Storms and 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.
1 NOAA storm reports from Multnomah County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Oregon flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jan 10, 2024 |
| Wildfires And Straight-line Winds | Sep 7, 2020 |
| Eagle Creek Fire | Sep 2, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 6, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Record And Near Record Snow | Dec 13, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 26, 2003 |
| High Winds, Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 4, 1996 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
15 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 13 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 11, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Jan 13, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Nov 12, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Dec 7, 2015 | $1.1M |
| Flood | Sep 28, 2013 | $30,000 |
| Flood | Jan 19, 2012 | — |
| Flood | Nov 7, 2009 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 11, 2022. Heavy rains from an atmospheric river caused minor flooding and debris flow.
Flood · Jan 13, 2021. A series of slow moving fronts brought periods of heavy rain along with strong winds. This resulted in high surf; coastal, river and urban flooding; landslides; and debris flows. As the front moved inland early on the 13th, a debris flow resulted in a fatality in the Columbia River Gorge. The front brought a burst of 35-50 mph winds to the Willamette Valley and southwest Washington interior resulting in over 100…
Flood · Nov 12, 2021. Heavy rains produced by an atmospheric river brought river flooding to portions of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. In addition, high tide backed up rivers and creeks in low lying areas along the coast, enhancing flooding.
Flash Flood · May 4, 2017. A strong upper-level trough generated enough instability for a few severe thunderstorms to develop across NW Oregon.
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 Multnomah 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.