9 flood insurance claims·$247,621 paid·1 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 Big Horn County, Wyoming. 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 and flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominate the flood risk profile in Big Horn County, with NOAA records showing 20 general flood events and 10 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Recent impacts include a July 2024 flash flood near Trapper Creek and Shell Creek where thunderstorms plugged culverts, washed out a driveway bridge, and deposited boulders and wildlife onto agricultural land. Additionally, warm temperatures and heavy rainfall produced seasonal high water, such as a June 2021 event causing minor snowmelt flooding around Medicine Lodge State Park, and a May 2019 system that brought mudslides to Ten Sleep Canyon.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that claims are distributed across multiple zones, led by Zone A with 4 claims averaging a $72,373 payout and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $1,000 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches, while Zone X unshaded recorded 2 claims averaging a $6,481 payout and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. An additional claim in an unknown zone averaged a $16,540 payout with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Property owners located in Zone A and low-lying areas near creeks, rivers, and mountain drainage basins should pay the closest attention to these hazards.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 1 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 2014, with 3 claims and $43,021 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.
14 NOAA storm reports from Big Horn County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wyoming flood stories →
4 federal disaster declarations since 1978, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | May 18, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding & Mudslides | May 29, 1978 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 20 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2024 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Jun 4, 2021 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Jun 2, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2015 | $2,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 20, 2024. Three thunderstorms with heavy rainfall moved over the Trapper Creek drainage in short succession during Saturday afternoon, causing localized flash flooding near the confluence of Trapper Creek and Shell Creek. Culverts were plugged and at least one resident's driveway bridge was washed out. Boulders the size of wheelbarrows were moved onto agricultural land and damaged fences. A large number of rattlesnakes and…
Flood · Jun 4, 2021. Very warm temperatures caused rapid snowmelt in the Bighorn Mountains and brought minor flooding around Medicine Lodge State Park. The flooding remained in the low lying areas near the Big Horn River and caused no damage.
Flood · May 27, 2019. A persistent area of low pressure brought one to three inches of rain to portions of the eastern Big Horn Basin. The result was minor flooding in Worland and Medicine Lodge State Park. In Ten Sleep Canyon, two small mudslides occurred.
Flood · May 27, 2018. A combination of rain and snow melt produced minor flooding around Medicine Lodge Creek as the creek rose to flood stage. Flooding remained in low lying areas and caused no damage.
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 Big Horn 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.