62 flood insurance claims·$1.8M 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 Spokane 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.
River flooding dominates Spokane County, supported by 36 recorded flood events compared to 15 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent history illustrates this pattern, such as the February 2025 atmospheric river event. During this period from February 22-26, 1 to 2 inches of rain combined with snowmelt to produce widespread flooding, causing the Little Spokane River at Dartford to crest at 5.82 feet and Latah Creek at Spokane to crest at 12.82 feet.
Properties located near rivers and across designated flood zones should pay the most attention to these risks. FEMA claims data shows impacts across multiple zones, including Zone A with 24 claims averaging an average 2 inches of recorded water depth and an average $11,980 payout, and Zone X with 23 claims averaging an average 11 inches of recorded water depth and an average $110,455 payout. Additionally, Zone X_Unshaded recorded 13 claims with an average 2 inches of recorded water depth and an average $11,105 payout, while Zone Unknown recorded 2 claims averaging an average 1 inch of recorded water depth and an average $766 payout.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
35% of Spokane County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
37 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 1997, with 15 claims and $185,074 paid, the year of Heavy Rains, Snow Melt, Flooding, Land & Mud Slides.
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.
25 NOAA storm reports from Spokane County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Washington flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Oregon Fire | Aug 19, 2023 |
| Gray Fire | Aug 18, 2023 |
| Wildfires | Aug 18, 2023 |
| Andrus Fire | Jul 5, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 29, 2020 |
| Babb Fire | Sep 7, 2020 |
| Upriver Beacon Fire | Jul 17, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides | Jan 30, 2017 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
51 since 1996: 15 flash floods and 36 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Feb 23, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2025 | $500 |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Dec 26, 2022 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2022 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Feb 23, 2025. A strong atmospheric river moved through the region on February 22-26. Many locations across Eastern Washington received rain amounts 1 to 2 inches over the period. The rain combined with snow melt in the area leading to several reports of flooding from Pullman to Spokane. Little Spokane River at Dartford crested at 5.82 feet. The Latah Creek at Spokane crested at 12.82 feet. The South Fork of the Palouse River at…
Flood · Feb 22, 2025. A strong atmospheric river moved through the region on February 22-26. Many locations across Eastern Washington received rain amounts 1 to 2 inches over the period. The rain combined with snow melt in the area leading to several reports of flooding from Pullman to Spokane. Little Spokane River at Dartford crested at 5.82 feet. The Latah Creek at Spokane crested at 12.82 feet. The South Fork of the Palouse River at…
Flood · May 27, 2023. Another Low brought thunderstorms to the region bringing heavy rains and lightning for May 27, 2023.
Flood · Dec 26, 2022. Rain amounts above an inch and melting snow caused flooding issues in the Spokane and|Oakesdale areas.
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 Spokane 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.