6 flood insurance claims·$21,905 paid·2 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 Johnson 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 from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Johnson County, Wyoming, accounting for 27 of the 40 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, with general floods making up the remaining 13 events. Heavy precipitation events frequently trigger rapid rises on local creeks, streams, and rivers. For example, a heavy rainstorm on June 4, 2023, dropped almost an inch of rain in 20 minutes near Barnum, causing minor flooding. Earlier, from May 27 through May 28, 2019, two to four inches of rain caused rapid waterway rises, pushing the Middle Fork of the Powder River 2.3 feet above flood stage near Kaycee and causing minor flooding around the fairgrounds.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates low historical payout volumes distributed across minimal incidents. Properties in Zone X (unshaded) recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $4,807 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $2,790 and an average water depth of 0 inches, while Zone A recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $4,695 and an average water depth of 0 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located near rural creeks, streams, and rivers such as the Middle Fork of the Powder River, as well as low-lying areas vulnerable to rapid runoff from intense summer storms.
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 2015, with 2 claims and $6,951 paid, the year of Severe Storms and 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.
14 NOAA storm reports from Johnson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wyoming flood stories →
7 federal disaster declarations since 1978, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| House Draw Fire | Aug 22, 2024 |
| Wildfires | Aug 21, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 24, 2015 |
| 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.
40 since 1996: 27 flash floods and 13 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 4, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 4, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 28, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2017 | — |
| Flood | May 25, 2015 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 24, 2015 | $50,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Sep 4, 2023. A large area of persistent moderate rain caused fast rising streams and creeks, leading to minor flooding of rural roads across the southern Bighorn Mountains.
Flash Flood · Jun 4, 2023. Almost an inch or rain fell around 20 minutes to the east-southeast of Barnum. Minor flooding occurred. No damage was reported.
Flood · Jun 4, 2023. A thunderstorm with heavy rain caused almost an inch of rain to fall within 20 minutes to the east-southeast of Barnum. Minor flooding occurred. No damage was reported.
Flood · May 27, 2019. Across Johnson County, two to four inches of rain fell from May 27th through May 28th. This caused rapid rises of creeks and streams as well as the Middle Fork of the Powder River. The river gauge at 10 miles upstream of Kaycee peaked at 10.3 feet, which is 2.3 feet above flood stage. In Kaycee, minor flooding occurred, especially around the fairgrounds but no damage was reported. Moderate flooding also occurred d…
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 Johnson 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.