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FEMA flood zones · Washington

Franklin County, Washington Flood Zone Map

1 flood insurance claims·$0 paid·4 federal flood & hurricane disasters

Less than 1% of Franklin County’s area is in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones.

Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.

Coastal high risk (V, VE)FloodwayHigh risk (A, AE)Moderate (X, 500-year)Minimal (X)Undetermined (D)

Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Franklin 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.

Federal disasters

11 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.

DisasterBegan
Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-line Winds, FloodinDec 26, 2021
Wildfires And Straight-line WindsSep 1, 2020
Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, MudslidesJan 30, 2017
Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record SnowDec 12, 2008
Hurricane Katrina EvacuationAug 29, 2005
Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,floodingDec 26, 1996
Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. HelensMay 21, 1980
FloodingMar 12, 1979

Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.

Recorded flood events

6 since 1996: 6 river or area floods.

EventDateDamage
FloodMay 18, 2020—
FloodFeb 21, 2017$3.0M
FloodFeb 2, 2003—
FloodJan 31, 1997—
FloodJun 12, 1997—
FloodJan 1, 1997—

— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.

From the storm reports

Flood · May 18, 2020. Thunderstorms moved across the Columbia Basin during the afternoon and evening on 5/18/20 and produced locally heavy rain. Minor flooding was reported in Connell.

Flood · Feb 21, 2017. Rapid melting of low elevation snow pack with heavy rain cause flooding across portions of southeast Washington.

Flood · Jan 31, 1997. Water and mud covered many streets in Connell. Several downtown businesses had flooded basements. Significant road damage to some area roads.

Flood · Jan 1, 1997. Minor flooding in the flood plain, high school parking lot partially flood.

National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.

The zones you’ll see on the map

Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.

Cross-section of a river floodplainDiagram: a river valley. The floodway is the channel and the land beside it; the 1%-annual-chance flood surface (the base flood elevation) covers the valley floor as zone A or AE; a narrow band higher up is shaded X, the 0.2% floodplain; higher ground is X.0.2% CHANCE A YEAR (500-YEAR)BASE FLOOD ELEVATION · 1% A YEARXAEFloodwayAEX
  1. A / AE Inside the 1%-a-year floodplain: about a 26% chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage. AE has a mapped base flood elevation; plain A does not.
  2. Floodway The channel and the land beside it that has to be kept clear enough to carry the flood. Building here is tightly limited.
  3. X shaded The 0.2% (500-year) floodplain, plus some levee-protected and very shallow flood areas.
  4. X Outside both lines. No federal requirement to insure, which is not the same as no risk.

Every flood zone code explained →

Flood insurance in Franklin County

If a building in Franklin 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.