Enter any address in Yakima County, Washington to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow and flash flooding are the primary flood concerns in Yakima County. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database has recorded 40 flood events and 14 flash flood events. For example, in February 2020, heavy rain combined with snowmelt led to moderate flooding and record river levels on several waterways, impacting areas along the East Slopes of the Washington Cascades. In May 2017, increased snowmelt caused minor flooding on portions of the Naches River.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $9,537 and an average water depth of 2.2 feet. However, properties in Zone X, which includes Zone X_UNSHADED, have seen higher average payouts, with Zone X_UNSHADED claims averaging $9,738 and 3.9 feet of water depth. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, Zone X_UNSHADED, or those located near rivers and streams should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
6 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Yakima County, Washington has recorded 54 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 14 flash floods and 40 river or area floods. The county has received 35 federal disaster declarations, 10 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1964–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Dec 9, 2025 |
| Retreat Fire | Fire | Jul 25, 2024 |
| West White Swan Fire | Fire | Jul 22, 2024 |
| Slide Ranch Fire | Fire | Jun 22, 2024 |
| Schneider Springs Fire | Fire | Aug 19, 2021 |
| Evans Canyon Fire | Fire | Sep 1, 2020 |
| Wildfires And Straight-line Winds | Fire | Sep 1, 2020 |
| North Brownstown Fire | Fire | Aug 16, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Feb 7, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 30, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 10, 2017 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 5, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 6, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 6, 2016 | 300.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2015 | 0.00K |
Flood — Feb 7, 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 othe...
Flood — May 30, 2017
Increased snow melt caused minor flooding on portions of the Naches river in Yakima county.
Flood — Mar 16, 2017
Snow melt, combined with periods rain, resulted in numerous streams flooding across south-central Washington.
Flood — Mar 14, 2017
Snow melt, combined with periods rain, resulted in numerous streams flooding across south-central Washington.
Flood — Mar 10, 2017
Significant snow melt due to extended seasonal warming caused numerous area streams to flood.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Yakima County, Washington:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Yakima County, Washington that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.