18 flood insurance claims·$80,819 paid·2 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 Grant 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 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 1998, with 4 claims and $7,128 paid.
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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Grant County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Washington flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Baird Springs Fire | Jul 10, 2023 |
| Grass Valley Fire | Aug 11, 2018 |
| Buckshot Fire | Jul 19, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides | Jan 30, 2017 |
| Barker Canyon Fire | Sep 9, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 14, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,flooding | Dec 26, 1996 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
12 since 1996: 8 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2023 | $500 |
| Flood | Mar 19, 2019 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | May 17, 2018 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Mar 11, 2017 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2012 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2010 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2009 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 27, 2023. Another Low brought thunderstorms to the region bringing heavy rains and lightning for May 27, 2023.
Flood · Mar 19, 2019. A late march melt off of low elevation snow in and around the Columbia Basin produced localized small stream and low spot field flooding which lead to the temporary closure of some area roads.
Flash Flood · May 17, 2018. Thunderstorms developed over the east slopes of the Cascades and the Columbia Basin in a rich feed of wrap around moisture from an upper low over Oregon during the night of May 17th. These storms dumped a general quarter to half inch of rain over most of the western basin, but individual cells locally produced higher amounts with Ephrata measuring 0.72 inches. Local flash flooding and debris flows were noted from…
Flood · Mar 11, 2017. The month of March was a very wet period for eastern Washington. The Pullman COOP station reported a monthly total of 5.25 inches of precipitation, 2.75 inches above average for the month. The Spokane airport reported 4.11 inches which was 2.50 inches above average. The Colville COOP station reported 2.98 inches which was 1.86 inches above average and the Wenatchee airport recorded 1.23 inches, or .59 inches above…
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 Grant 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.