108 flood insurance claims·$1.2M 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 Yamhill 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.
15% of Yamhill County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
95 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 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 2007, with 49 claims and $714,853 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides.
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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Yamhill County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Oregon flood stories →
18 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 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Chehalem Mountain Bald Peak Fire | Sep 8, 2020 |
| Wildfires And Straight-line Winds | Sep 7, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 6, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Record And Near Record Snow | Dec 13, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 1, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Dec 14, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
6 since 1996: 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 20, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Nov 26, 2016 | — |
| Flood | Jan 20, 2012 | $2.0M |
| Flood | Dec 4, 2007 | $9.6M |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2006 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Dec 20, 2020. A series of strong Pacific fronts moved across the region bringing high winds to the coast with heavy rain across much of the area. The heavy rains resulted in flooding of some coastal rivers as well as small stream flooding and a debris flow.
Flood · Feb 10, 2017. A series of fronts brought moderate to heavy rainfall across Northwest Oregon, resulting flooding on many rivers across the area over the next several days.
Flood · Nov 26, 2016. A moist Pacific front moving slowly across the area produced heavy rainfall, resulting in flooding of several rivers across Northwest Oregon and at least two landslides.
Flood · Jan 20, 2012. With a cold air mass in place over the Pacific Northwest, two strong and very moist Pacific weather systems brought snow to the area with snow levels down to the valley floor. This snow transitioned to rain from south to north across the area, with widespread heavy rains combining with melting snow to bring many rivers above flood stage and a few rivers above major 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 Yamhill 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.