229 flood insurance claims·$4.2M paid·7 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 Kitsap 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.
19% of Kitsap County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
149 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 25 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 2022, with 74 claims and $2.2M 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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Kitsap County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Washington flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 1, 2007 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tidal Surge, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jan 27, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Oct 15, 2003 |
| Earthquake | Feb 28, 2001 |
| Heavy Rains, Snow Melt, Flooding, Land & Mud Slides | Mar 18, 1997 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,flooding | Dec 26, 1996 |
| High Winds, Severe Storms And Flooding | Jan 26, 1996 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
6 since 1996: 1 river or area floods and 5 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flood | Dec 27, 2022 | — |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Jan 26, 2012 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 17, 2012 | $2,000 |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 17, 2012 | $200,000 |
| Flood | Dec 12, 2010 | $1.0M |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Coastal Flood · Dec 27, 2022. Coastal flooding between 8 AM - 11 AM high tide cycle on 12/27. The event was a result of King Tides, coinciding with significantly strong low pressure in the area and strong winds. Wind gusts of up to 64 MPH occurred in the event as well as observed tidal conditions 1-2 feet above the HAT.
Storm Surge/Tide · Jan 26, 2012. High wind occurred in the Admiralty Inlet area. Storm surge destroyed fences and yards in the Sandy point and Admiralty Inlet areas.
Coastal Flood · Dec 17, 2012. High astronomical tides coincided with low pressure to cause record high tide levels throughout Puget Sound. Many homes and yards along the shoreline were flooded.
Flood · Dec 12, 2010. The Stillaguamish River reached record level. There were several roads washed out in Kitsap county. 2 homes were damaged from mudslides.
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 Kitsap 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.