89 flood insurance claims·$478,776 paid·4 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 Okanogan 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.
Flood risk in Okanogan County is defined by an even split between standard floods and flash floods, with 40 events of each type recorded over the last 30 years, resulting in one flash flood fatality.
Recent weather events illustrate these recurring hazards. In July 2023, a strong system brought scattered thunderstorms and flash flooding along Highway 2. Earlier, in May 2023, a slow-moving low pressure system produced thunderstorms, hail, wind, and heavy rain that, combined with snowmelt, caused widespread flooding issues and washouts.
FEMA claim data shows that flood impacts extend across multiple zones. Property owners in Zone A account for the highest claim volume with 43 claims averaging $5,674 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. However, properties in Zone X unshaded have experienced greater average severity, with 30 claims averaging $9,756 and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches. Zone X shaded recorded 8 claims averaging $11,728 with an average water depth of 2 inches, while general Zone X properties saw 7 claims averaging $19,740 with an average water depth of 5 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated high-risk riverine areas and moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas should pay close attention to these historical claim patterns and water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
47% of Okanogan County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
81 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 6 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 2018, with 13 claims and $184,451 paid, the year of 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.
31 NOAA storm reports from Okanogan County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Washington flood stories →
39 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Swawilla Fire | Jul 17, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jan 5, 2024 |
| Eagle Bluff Fire | Jul 29, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Nov 3, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-line Winds, Floodin | Dec 26, 2021 |
| Muckamuck Fire | Aug 15, 2021 |
| Cedar Creek Fire | Jul 19, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 29, 2020 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
80 since 1996: 40 flash floods and 40 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2023 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Jan 12, 2023 | $500 |
| Flood | May 4, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 4, 2023 | $250 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 22, 2022 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2022 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2022 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2022 | $1.0M |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 12, 2023. A strong system moved through Eastern Washington and brought scattered thunderstorms. The main areas stretched along Highway 2 from Waterville Plateau to Northern Spokane County.
Flood · Jan 12, 2023. Mild temperatures and rain of three quarter an inch to one inch created some localized flooding and rock slides in the Cascades.
Flood · May 4, 2023. A slow moving Low brought slow moving thunderstorms with hail, wind, and heavy rain. The heavy rains and snow melt caused flooding issues and washouts.
Flash Flood · Aug 22, 2022. A stationary thunderstorm stayed over the area for several hours and produced significant amount of rain over the area.
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 Okanogan 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.