Enter any address in Chelan County, Washington to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events have been the most frequent type of flooding in Chelan County over the past 30 years, with 48 recorded instances. This is followed by more general flood events, numbering 28 in the same period. For example, an atmospheric river in December 2025 brought heavy rains to the Cascades, leading to flooding that forced the closure of highway US 2 for several weeks.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows a range of payout amounts and water depths across different flood zones. Zone X_SHADED had the highest average payout at $16,626 with an average water depth of 9.3 feet, while Zone A had the most claims at 95, with an average payout of $11,939 and 1.8 feet of water. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in Zone X_SHADED and X_UNSHADED, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
29 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Chelan County, Washington has recorded 76 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 48 flash floods and 28 river or area floods. The county has received 51 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1972–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Dec 9, 2025 |
| Lower Sugarloaf Fire | Fire | Sep 25, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-line Winds, Floodin | Flood | Dec 26, 2021 |
| Twentyfive Mile Fire | Fire | Aug 17, 2021 |
| Red Apple Fire | Fire | Jul 13, 2021 |
| Apple Acres Fire | Fire | Sep 7, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Cougar Creek Fire | Fire | Aug 10, 2018 |
| Spromberg Fire | Fire | May 23, 2017 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 10, 2025 | 200.00K |
| Flood | Dec 9, 2025 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Dec 8, 2025 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2024 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2023 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2023 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Jun 5, 2022 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2022 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2022 | 80.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2022 | 100.00K |
Flood — Dec 10, 2025
An atmospheric river brought heavy rains to the Cascades December 8 through 10. The East slopes saw 48 hour rain amounts of up to 7 inches along the crest, 3 to 4 inches in the mid slopes, and at least half an inch in the low land areas. The rain combined with snow melt and led to several flooding and landslide incidents. The flooding forced the closure of highway US 2 for several weeks. An emb...
Flood — Dec 9, 2025
An atmospheric river brought heavy rains to the Cascades December 8 through 10. The East slopes saw 48 hour rain amounts of up to 7 inches along the crest, 3 to 4 inches in the mid slopes, and at least half an inch in the low land areas. The rain combined with snow melt and led to several flooding and landslide incidents. The flooding forced the closure of highway US 2 for several weeks. An emb...
Flood — Dec 8, 2025
An atmospheric river brought heavy rains to the Cascades December 8 through 10. The East slopes saw 48 hour rain amounts of up to 7 inches along the crest, 3 to 4 inches in the mid slopes, and at least half an inch in the low land areas. The rain combined with snow melt and led to several flooding and landslide incidents. The flooding forced the closure of highway US 2 for several weeks. An emb...
Flash Flood — Aug 23, 2024
Slow moving, heavy rain showers moved over the the higher terrain near Wenatchee. Rain amounts ranged from 0.4 to 0.6 of an inch from 1700-2000 PST. The runoff was funneled through the canyons and caused flash flooding for parts of Western Wenatchee.
Flash Flood — Jun 27, 2023
Thunderstorms impacted the region bringing damage and flash flooding to Eastern Washington.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Chelan County, Washington:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Chelan County, Washington that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.