Flood Help Guide

Whatcom County flood history

Washington · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08

1,211NFIP flood claims since 1978
$53.1 millionPaid on those claims
$74,220Average paid claimlast 10 years
1.9%Homes with NFIP flood insurance
8Flood disaster declarationssince 2000

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 1,211 flood insurance claims in Whatcom County, Washington since 1978. The NFIP paid $53.1 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 2021, with 329.

In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 691 claims, and the average paid claim was $74,220.

18% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).

About 1.9% of homes in Whatcom County, Washington had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (1,497 of 79,381 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 29% (1,169 of 4,011).

Since 2000, FEMA has made 8 flood-related disaster declarations covering Whatcom 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

NFIP flood claims per year in Whatcom County, Washington01252503755001979: 13 claims, $96,287 paid1980: 9 claims, $50,341 paid19801981: 1 claims, $282 paid1982: 23 claims, $37,961 paid1983: 15 claims, $389,539 paid1984: 13 claims, $60,364 paid1985: 1 claims, $0 paid1986: 5 claims, $25,632 paid1987: 2 claims, $2,156 paid1989: 24 claims, $260,885 paid1990: 142 claims, $2.0 million paid19901991: 3 claims, $30,000 paid1992: 1 claims, $0 paid1993: 2 claims, $8,194 paid1994: 1 claims, $0 paid1995: 30 claims, $272,693 paid1996: 14 claims, $107,277 paid1997: 10 claims, $102,345 paid1998: 5 claims, $5,556 paid1999: 3 claims, $2,443 paid2000: 10 claims, $224,297 paid20002001: 15 claims, $210,206 paid2002: 3 claims, $18,889 paid2003: 26 claims, $121,304 paid2004: 9 claims, $317,277 paid2005: 1 claims, $2,742 paid2006: 39 claims, $720,033 paid2007: 2 claims, $5,665 paid2008: 4 claims, $1,326 paid2009: 56 claims, $1.6 million paid2010: 12 claims, $112,265 paid20102011: 1 claims, $0 paid2012: 14 claims, $190,412 paid2014: 1 claims, $0 paid2015: 4 claims, $7,051 paid2016: 6 claims, $25,456 paid2017: 1 claims, $0 paid2018: 2 claims, $43,627 paid2020: 26 claims, $394,805 paid20202021: 329 claims, $22.5 million paid2022: 28 claims, $925,420 paid2023: 1 claims, $0 paid2024: 4 claims, $556,376 paid2025: 297 claims, $21.6 million paid2026: 3 claims, $14,405 paid
Claims per year of loss. Hover or tap a bar for details.
Show as a table
YearClaimsPaid
20263$14,405
2025297$21.6 million
20244$556,376
20231$0
202228$925,420
2021329$22.5 million
202026$394,805
20182$43,627
20171$0
20166$25,456
20154$7,051
20141$0
201214$190,412
20111$0
201012$112,265
200956$1.6 million
20084$1,326
20072$5,665
200639$720,033
20051$2,742
20049$317,277
200326$121,304
20023$18,889
200115$210,206
200010$224,297
19993$2,443
19985$5,556
199710$102,345
199614$107,277
199530$272,693
19941$0
19932$8,194
19921$0
19913$30,000
1990142$2.0 million
198924$260,885
19872$2,156
19865$25,632
19851$0
198413$60,364
198315$389,539
198223$37,961
19811$282
19809$50,341
197913$96,287

Named flood events

EventYearClaimsPaid
2025-12-AtmosphericRiver2025296$21.6 million
Flooding1990131$1.9 million
Flooding197912$96,287
Flooding19955$90,809
Torrential rain200611$84,463
Flooding19976$65,473
Flooding19965$44,980
Flooding19865$25,632

How many homes have flood insurance

FEMA counts 1,497 residential NFIP policies in Whatcom County, against 79,381 residential buildings (1.9%). Of the 4,011 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 1,169 have an NFIP policy (29%). 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

DeclarationDeclaredEventHelp for individuals
DR-4906-WA Apr 7, 2026 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides Yes
EM-3629-WA Dec 12, 2025 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides No
DR-4635-WA Jan 5, 2022 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides Yes
DR-4539-WA Apr 23, 2020 Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides No
DR-4418-WA Mar 4, 2019 Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, Tornado No
DR-4309-WA Apr 21, 2017 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides No
DR-1817-WA Jan 30, 2009 Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding Yes
DR-1499-WA Nov 7, 2003 Severe Storms and Flooding 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:

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.