100 flood insurance claims·$1.9M paid·5 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 Walla Walla 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 overflow and general flooding dominate the flood profile of Walla Walla County, accounting for 16 of the 19 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside three flash flood events. High-elevation snowmelt combined with heavy rainfall drives these regional flood conditions, as demonstrated in February 2020 when heavy rain and melting snow caused record flooding on the Walla Walla and Touchet rivers. Similarly, above-normal snowpack coupled with warm temperatures and heavy April rain produced river flooding along the Walla Walla River and its tributaries in April 2019, while persistent rain showers and swollen area rivers caused minor flooding along portions of Mill Creek in June 2022.
National Flood Insurance Program records show varying impacts across different zones. Zone A properties account for the highest claim volume with 73 claims averaging $20,902 and a recorded average water depth of 10 inches. Properties in unshaded Zone X recorded 16 claims with an average payout of $44,445 and an average water depth of 23 inches, while shaded Zone X properties recorded 7 claims averaging $16,641 with an average water depth of 76 inches. Zone X properties without shade designation recorded 4 claims averaging $17,520 with an average water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located near rivers, streams, and creeks, particularly those in designated Zone A and various Zone X classifications where historical claims and recorded water depths indicate potential vulnerability.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
24% of Walla Walla County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
96 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 16 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 1996, with 49 claims and $673,807 paid, the year of High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding and Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,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.
5 NOAA storm reports from Walla Walla County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Washington flood stories →
13 federal disaster declarations since 1964, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides | Jan 30, 2017 |
| Blue Creek Fire | Jul 20, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | Dec 12, 2008 |
| Columbia Fire Complex | Aug 21, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Earthquake | Feb 28, 2001 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,flooding | Dec 26, 1996 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 3 flash floods and 16 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 13, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | $8.8M |
| Flood | Apr 9, 2019 | $150,000 |
| Flood | Feb 5, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Dec 30, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Feb 21, 2017 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Mar 10, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 13, 2022. A persistent upper trough pushed several shortwave troughs supported by a moderate plume of moisture in the middle of June. Persistent rain showers that develop as a result of each shortwave trough produced enough rainfall for area rivers to swell, with minor flooding being observed along portions of Mill Creek.
Flood · Feb 6, 2020. Heavy snow on February 4-5, 2020 was followed by a period of heavy rain, February 5-7. Snow levels rose to near 5000 feet. The heavy rain and snow melt lead to moderate flooding and several landslides along the East Slopes of the Washington Cascades. There was record flooding on several rivers, including the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Touchet rivers with widespread flooding of numerous other creeks and streams…
Flood · Apr 9, 2019. Snow water equivalents near 200% of normal in the Blue Mountains coupled with warm temperatures and near record rainfall total for April produced river flooding along the Walla Walla River and tributaries.
Flood · Feb 5, 2018. Two to three inches of rain fell along the west slopes of the Blue Mountains from February 1st through 4th. The increased runoff caused high water levels and minor flooding along the Umatilla and Walla Walla Rivers.
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 Walla Walla 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.