56 flood insurance claims·$501,325 paid·8 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 Columbia County, Washington. 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.
Less than 1% of Columbia County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
43 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 21 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 28 claims and $131,183 paid, the year of High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding and Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Columbia County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Washington flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 29, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides | Jan 30, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, And Flooding | Jan 6, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | Dec 12, 2008 |
| Columbia Fire Complex | Aug 21, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| School Fire | Aug 7, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
5 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 2, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2013 | — |
| Flood | Feb 1, 2003 | — |
| Flood | Jan 1, 1997 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 2, 2022. A strong upper level low pressure system off the coast of British Columbia placed the region under a moist southwest flow aloft. At the lower levels, this flow, already saturated soils, and increasing instability in the afternoon allowed developing storms to produce high rainfall rates. Areas of Columbia county, WA saw these high rain rates, resulting in flash flooding.
Flood · Feb 6, 2020. Heavy snow on February 4-5, 2020 was followed by a period of heavy rain, February 5-7. Snow levels rose to near 5000 feet. The heavy rain and snow melt lead to moderate flooding and several landslides along the East Slopes of the Washington Cascades. There was record flooding on several rivers, including the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Touchet rivers with widespread flooding of numerous other creeks and streams…
Flash Flood · Sep 5, 2013. Several reports of severe weather from wind damage, small hail, and flash flooding hit portions of southeast Washington on September 5th. The strongest estimated wind gust was 61 mph. Other damage reports include: a tied down single engine airplane flipped over due to wind, and an irrigation rig ripped from the ground.
Flood · Jan 1, 1997. Several roads and levees damaged by mud slids and washouts.
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 Columbia 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.