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 Crook 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.
Flash flooding and river flooding from summer thunderstorms, snowmelt, and ice jams shape the flood risk in Crook County. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database has recorded 13 flood events and 8 flash flood events.
Recent history illustrates these seasonal hazards. On June 30, 2019, heavy rainfall ranging from two to four inches caused flash flooding across parts of the county. Earlier that spring, minor flooding occurred along the Belle Fourche River due to ice jams and snowmelt, including documented events on March 28, 2019, and April 1, 2019. Saturated soils from persistent thunderstorm activity also led to minor flooding on May 29, 2018.
Properties situated near rivers and streams, such as the Belle Fourche River, as well as locations vulnerable to rapid runoff from intense summer thunderstorms, should pay the closest attention to these flood hazards.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2 NOAA storm reports from Crook County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wyoming flood stories →
7 federal disaster declarations since 1978, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | May 18, 2011 |
| Thorn Divide Fire Complex | Jul 13, 2006 |
| Wy - Mcfarland Divide Fire - 09/06/01 | Sep 5, 2001 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Oct 31, 2000 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding & Mudslides | May 29, 1978 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
21 since 1996: 8 flash floods and 13 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 28, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 29, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jul 17, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Jul 27, 2017 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2015 | $5,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 30, 2019. On the afternoon of June 30, thunderstorms with heavy rain moved through parts of northeastern Wyoming. Two to four inches of rain fell across southeast Crook and eastern Weston Counties. Runoff from the heavy rain caused flash flooding.
Flood · Mar 28, 2019. Minor flooding occurred along the Belle Fourche River in parts of Crook County due to ice jams and snowmelt.
Flood · Apr 1, 2019. Minor flooding occurred along the Belle Fourche River in parts of Crook County due to ice jams and snowmelt.
Flood · May 29, 2018. Several days of thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall saturated the soils across portions of Crook and Weston Counties. Runoff eventually caused minor flooding in some 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 Crook 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.