Cowlitz County flood history
Washington · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 684 flood insurance claims in Cowlitz County, Washington since 1978. The NFIP paid $14.9 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 1980, with 168, mostly from Mt. St. Helens Eruption.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 33 claims, and the average paid claim was $48,602.
51% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 2.0% of homes in Cowlitz County, Washington had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (839 of 42,703 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 31% (529 of 1,716).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 7 flood-related disaster declarations covering Cowlitz County, Washington. The most recent was DR-4906-WA (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), declared April 7, 2026.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | $154,295 |
| 2025 | 8 | $248,376 |
| 2022 | 9 | $198,639 |
| 2021 | 1 | $7,508 |
| 2020 | 1 | $448,236 |
| 2019 | 3 | $5,767 |
| 2018 | 1 | $0 |
| 2017 | 6 | $55,026 |
| 2016 | 1 | $0 |
| 2015 | 30 | $1.6 million |
| 2014 | 6 | $79,721 |
| 2013 | 3 | $101,941 |
| 2012 | 3 | $187,325 |
| 2011 | 4 | $19,260 |
| 2009 | 78 | $2.4 million |
| 2008 | 4 | $3,530 |
| 2007 | 4 | $20,729 |
| 2006 | 21 | $470,248 |
| 2004 | 2 | $790 |
| 2003 | 10 | $99,131 |
| 2001 | 3 | $10,500 |
| 2000 | 1 | $1,594 |
| 1999 | 3 | $27,500 |
| 1998 | 8 | $57,996 |
| 1997 | 6 | $53,793 |
| 1996 | 162 | $3.4 million |
| 1995 | 32 | $747,683 |
| 1991 | 2 | $0 |
| 1990 | 3 | $5,586 |
| 1987 | 4 | $168,672 |
| 1986 | 56 | $791,643 |
| 1985 | 1 | $0 |
| 1984 | 2 | $0 |
| 1983 | 16 | $4,376 |
| 1982 | 11 | $16,927 |
| 1981 | 6 | $71,711 |
| 1980 | 168 | $3.5 million |
| 1979 | 1 | $0 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. St. Helens Eruption | 1980 | 150 | $3.4 million |
| Flooding | 1996 | 156 | $3.4 million |
| Torrential rain | 2006 | 13 | $400,236 |
| 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver | 2025 | 8 | $248,376 |
| Flooding | 1986 | 6 | $47,197 |
| Flooding | 1997 | 2 | $29,731 |
| Winter storm | 2007 | 4 | $20,729 |
| Flooding | 1990 | 3 | $5,586 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 839 residential NFIP policies in Cowlitz County, against 42,703 residential buildings (2.0%). Of the 1,716 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 529 have an NFIP policy (31%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4906-WA | Apr 7, 2026 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Yes |
| DR-4775-WA | Apr 28, 2024 | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4650-WA | Mar 29, 2022 | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding | No |
| DR-4593-WA | Apr 8, 2021 | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4253-WA | Feb 2, 2016 | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, and A T | No |
| DR-1817-WA | Jan 30, 2009 | Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1671-WA | Dec 12, 2006 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Yes |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of Washington.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.