Enter any address in Ferry County, Washington to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow and flash flooding are the primary flood concerns in Ferry County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA data shows 19 flood events and 6 flash flood events. Recent examples include flooding in May 2023, attributed to heavy rain and snowmelt, and another flood event in May 2018 caused by significant snowpack melt from the British Columbia mountains, which led to inundation of bottomlands, parks, and some homes along the Kettle River.
FEMA data indicates that properties in Zone A, which are areas with moderate flood risk, have experienced National Flood Insurance Program claims. One claim in Zone A resulted in an average payout of $25,470 with an average water depth of 0.0 feet. Residents with properties located near rivers, in low-lying areas, or in zones without a Base Flood Elevation should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
15 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Ferry County, Washington has recorded 25 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 6 flash floods and 19 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1974–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Swawilla Fire | Fire | Jul 17, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Jan 5, 2024 |
| Wildfires And Straight-line Winds | Fire | Sep 1, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Boyd's Fire | Fire | Aug 11, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides | Flood | Jan 30, 2017 |
| Renner Fire | Fire | Aug 21, 2015 |
| Okanagan County Fire Complex | Fire | Aug 14, 2015 |
| Stickpin Fire | Fire | Aug 14, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 20, 2023 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Apr 10, 2023 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2019 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Apr 28, 2018 | 20.00K |
| Flood | May 9, 2018 | 100.00K |
| Flood | May 9, 2018 | 5.00K |
| Flood | May 5, 2018 | 3.00M |
| Flood | May 23, 2017 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Feb 16, 2017 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2017 | 780.00K |
Flood — May 20, 2023
A passing cold front brought more thunderstorms to Eastern Washington. The impacts again included hail, lightning, winds, and flooding from heavy rain.
Flood — Apr 10, 2023
An atmospheric river brought mild temperatures and heavy rain to Northeast Washington. The mild temperatures caused snowmelt in the low to mid elevations. The rapid melt and rain amounts of an 1.0-1.5 caused flooding issues.
Flash Flood — Aug 10, 2019
The weather pattern on August 10th featured a very moist and unstable air mass with a passing upper level low pressure. These elements promoted widespread thunderstorms with heavy rain which produced Flash Flooding over potions of eastern Washington. Local observations indicated some of these slow moving storms produced from 1 to locally in excess of 5 inches of rain. Particularly hard hit was ...
Flood — Apr 28, 2018
Snow melt and rain created saturated soil conditions which lead to a road washout near Curlew in Ferry County. The road bed was undermined by the flood water causing the washout and collapse of a 20 foot section of the highway. The road is a major thoroughfare through the region and was re-opened after 2 days of repair work.
Flood — May 9, 2018
Run off from melting of near record snow pack in the British Columbia mountains promoted record flooding on the Kettle River during the second and third weeks of May. Bottom lands and parks along the river were extensively inundated as well as yards and outbuildings. Many homes near the river suffered basement flooding and a few homes received first floor flooding. ||Highway 21 near Danville, a...
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 Ferry 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 Ferry 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.