Skip to main content

Oregon Flood Zone Map

Last updated: August 2026

Oregon faces riverine flooding from the Willamette, Columbia, and Rogue rivers, coastal flooding from Pacific storms, and urban flooding in the Portland metropolitan area. Atmospheric rivers can bring days of heavy rainfall that saturate mountain watersheds and trigger widespread flooding.

5 of 36 Oregon counties are rated high or very high for inland flood risk by FEMA's National Risk Index. 23 communities participate in FEMA's Community Rating System, qualifying residents for flood insurance discounts of up to 35%.

Oregon has recorded 6,095 NFIP flood insurance claims since 1978, totaling $106.4M in payouts. See how Oregon compares in our nationwide NFIP claims data breakdown.

FEMA Region

Region 10

Also covers Alaska, Idaho, Washington

NFIP Policies

25,862

Policies effective in the trailing 13 months (July 1, 2025 - August 16, 2026), not a certified point-in-time count

OR Avg. Premium

$953/yr

National average: $915/yr

Active NFIP Policies in Oregon

Oregon had 25,862 NFIP flood insurance policies written or renewed over the trailing 13 months, with an average annual premium of $953, totaling $24.7M in annual premiums. Because a policy renewed inside that window is counted twice, this runs above the number in force at any one moment.

Average Annual Premium

Oregon$953
National Average$915

Policies by Flood Zone

Zone AE
11,833(avg. $1,177/yr)
Zone X
10,664(avg. $668/yr)
Zone A
2,041(avg. $1,169/yr)
Zone VE
627(avg. $1,062/yr)
Zone AH
374(avg. $798/yr)
Zone AO
314(avg. $754/yr)
Zone D
5(avg. $2,168/yr)
Zone AHB
3(avg. $643/yr)

Policies by Property Type

Single Family62%(15,752)- (avg. $1,010/yr)
Residential Condo20%(5,145)- (avg. $171/yr)
Non-Residential13%(3,400)- (avg. $1,785/yr)
2-4 Family3%(652)- (avg. $883/yr)
Other Residential2%(453)- (avg. $2,126/yr)

Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Policies API. Reflects policies with an effective date in the trailing 13 months (July 1, 2025 through August 16, 2026) - a 12-month policy term plus a 1-month buffer for OpenFEMA's own reporting lag - as an approximation of currently active policies, not a certified point-in-time count. Policies renewed early in this window may be counted twice, so actual totals may be somewhat lower than shown. See national policies data.

NFIP Flood Insurance Claims

Oregon properties have filed 6,095 NFIP flood insurance claims totaling $106.4M in payouts since 1978. The average claim payout in 2025 was $41,219.

Recent Years

2025155 claims$6.4M(avg. $41,219)
202417 claims$191K(avg. $11,235)
202324 claims$346K(avg. $14,417)
202217 claims$245K(avg. $14,412)
202156 claims$726K(avg. $12,964)
202053 claims$1.5M(avg. $28,151)

Claims by Decade

88
668
2,887
1,118
1,002
332
1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
$179K$2.4M$48.3M$29.9M$16.0M$9.5M

Highest-Claim Years

19961,789 claims$35.2M(avg. $19,702)
2007471 claims$18.7M(avg. $39,650)
2012379 claims$6.1M(avg. $16,179)
1999326 claims$5.4M(avg. $16,626)
1997306 claims$2.8M(avg. $9,065)

Claims by Flood Zone

Zone A
2,372(avg. $16K)
Zone X
1,655(avg. $17K)
Zone AE
1,503(avg. $24K)
Zone AO
88(avg. $9K)
Zone V
45(avg. $10K)
Zone AH
39(avg. $12K)
Zone VE
32(avg. $23K)
Zone AOB
24(avg. $5K)

Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims API. Data sourced August 2026. See national claims data.

Flood Insurance Coverage in Oregon

Only roughly 1 in 65 households in Oregon carries NFIP flood insurance (2% of estimated households). 33 of 36 counties have elevated flood risk but low insurance coverage. With 650 recorded flood events and $248.0M in damage, many flood losses in this state are likely uninsured.

Penetration Rate

2%

roughly 1 in 65 households

Historical Claims Ratio

1 in 4

6,095 claims over 45+ years across 25,862 current policies

Avg. Claim Payout

$17,449

Per claim, state-wide since 1978

Historically, Oregon has averaged 1 claim for every 4 active policies (since 1978). This compares cumulative claims against today's policy count and does not predict future claim likelihood.

Coverage data: NFIP policies as of August 2026, claims since 1978 (August 2026), population from FEMA NRI.

Repetitive Loss Properties in Oregon

Oregon has 435 properties with multiple flood insurance losses, including 51 severe repetitive loss properties. 22 properties have received FEMA mitigation funding. Severe repetitive loss is a subset of multiple loss, not a separate count. Data sourced August 2026.

Multiple Loss

435

2+ claims within 10 years

Severe Repetitive Loss

51

4+ claims or 2 exceeding value

Mitigated

22

Received FEMA mitigation

By Flood Zone

Zone AE
204
Zone A
127
Zone X
84
Zone AH
6
Zone AO
5
Zone VE
2
Zone V
2
Zone D
1

Zone data available for 431 of 435 properties.

Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Multiple Loss Properties. Data sourced August 2026.

Flood Insurance Discounts in Oregon

23 Oregon communities participate in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS), earning flood insurance premium discounts for residents in Special Flood Hazard Areas. CRS classes in Oregon range from 3 to 9, with discounts from 5% to 35%.

Salem

Class 3 - 35% discount

Albany

Class 5 - 25% discount

Corvallis

Class 5 - 25% discount

Medford

Class 5 - 25% discount

Portland

Class 5 - 25% discount

Central Point

Class 6 - 20% discount

Cottage Grove

Class 6 - 20% discount

Oregon City

Class 6 - 20% discount

Lane County

Class 6 - 20% discount

Eugene

Class 7 - 15% discount

Nehalem

Class 7 - 15% discount

Roseburg

Class 7 - 15% discount

Source: FEMA Community Rating System, April 2026. Discounts apply to NFIP policies only. CRS classes and discounts are subject to change.

Federal Flood Disaster History

Oregon has received 17 federal disaster declarations for flooding, hurricanes, severe storms, and coastal storms.

Declarations by Decade

3
2
3
5
1
2
1
1950s1960s1970s1990s2000s2010s2020s

Recent Declarations

2020Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesFlood
2019Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesFlood
2012Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesFlood
2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationCoastal Storm
1998FloodingFlood
1996Flooding, Land, Mud Slides, High Winds,Severe StormsFlood
1996High Winds, Severe Storms and FloodingFlood
1995FloodingFlood

Showing 8 most recent of 17 total declarations.

Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API. Data sourced August 2026.

Recorded Flood Events in Oregon

NOAA has recorded 650 flood events in Oregon since 1996, causing an estimated $248.0M in property and crop damage and 9 deaths.

Total Events

650

Total Damage

$248.0M

Fatalities

9

Events by Decade

34
181
320
115
1990s2000s2010s2020s

Costliest Events

February 6, 2020Flood - Umatilla$39.7M
December 3, 2007Flood - Columbia$36M
November 7, 2006Flood - Hood River$30M
December 2, 2007Flood - Tillamook$26.5M
November 6, 2006Flood - Tillamook$15M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, 1996-2026. Data sourced August 2026.

Flood Mitigation in Oregon

FEMA has funded mitigation for 1,200 properties in Oregon, investing $96.8M in flood risk reduction. Common mitigation actions include acquisition (buying and demolishing flood-prone structures), elevation (raising buildings above flood level), and safe rooms (wind/storm shelters for tornado and hurricane protection).

Properties by Action

Retrofit
432
Other
365
Elevation
206
Acquisition
125
Floodproofing
48
Relocation
20
Generator
4

Mitigation by Decade

298
415
386
101
1990s2000s2010s2020s

Source: OpenFEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Mitigated Properties. Data sourced August 2026. FEMA records a total payment per grant rather than per property, so the dollar figure is an estimate that splits each grant across the properties it covers; the property count is exact.

Levee Protection in Oregon

The USACE National Levee Database lists 9 levee systems protecting parts of 3 Oregon cities. A system's FEMA accreditation status determines how its protected area is mapped - accredited levees are typically mapped as Zone X, while non-accredited or provisionally accredited (PAL) systems generally leave their protected area in the SFHA.

By Accreditation Status

Accredited
5
Non-Accredited
4

Largest Protected Areas

Multnomah County Drainage District No. 1 - West

Accredited

Protects: Portland - Flood source: Columbia - 9.11 sq mi

Multnomah County Drainage District No. 1 - East

Accredited

Protects: Portland - Flood source: Columbia - 3.06 sq mi

Amazon Creek - RB: North Setback to Fern Ridge

Non-Accredited

Protects: Eugene - Flood source: Amazon Creek - 2.81 sq mi

Peninsula Drainage District 2

Accredited

Protects: Portland - Flood source: Columbia - 2.43 sq mi

Sandy Drainage District

Accredited

Protects: Troutdale - Flood source: Columbia River and Sandy River, Sandy River - 2.3 sq mi

Peninsula Drainage District 1

Accredited

Protects: Portland - Flood source: Columbia River - 1.44 sq mi

...and 3 more systems tracked in the database.

Source: USACE National Levee Database. Data sourced August 2026. Learn how levees affect flood zone mapping.

Oregon Flood Risk Overview

County-level risk ratings from FEMA's National Risk Index across 36 Oregon counties.

Inland Flood Risk

5 of 36 counties rated high or very high

Coastal Flood Risk

2 of 10 coastal counties rated high or very high

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county-level assessment.

Oregon Cities

Explore flood zone information for major cities in Oregon.

Oregon Flood Zone FAQ

How do I check if my Oregon property is in a flood zone?

Enter your OR address in FludZone's free lookup tool. We query FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer in real-time to show your flood zone designation, whether flood insurance is required, and your property's risk level.

Do I need flood insurance in Oregon?

If your Oregon property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), meaning zones starting with A or V, and you have a federally regulated or government-backed mortgage, federal law generally requires your lender to ensure you carry flood insurance. Properties in Zone X are not subject to the federal mandate but lenders may still require coverage, and it is often recommended given Oregon's flood history.

What are the most common flood zones in Oregon?

The most common FEMA flood zone designations in Oregon are Zone AE, Zone A, Zone VE, Zone X. Each zone reflects a different level of flood risk, from high-risk areas where flood insurance is generally required for federally regulated or government-backed mortgages to lower-risk areas where coverage is optional but recommended.

Can I remove my Oregon property from a flood zone?

Yes, if your Oregon property's natural ground elevation was always above the Base Flood Elevation and FEMA inadvertently mapped it in the SFHA, you can apply for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) through FEMA. If your property was raised above the BFE with fill, the process is a LOMR-F. Note that for coastal properties in VE zones, LOMAs are less common because wave action creates risks beyond still-water elevation. A successful LOMA generally removes the federal mandatory flood insurance requirement, but your lender may still choose to require coverage. You'll need an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor.

Do any Oregon communities offer flood insurance discounts?

Yes, 23 Oregon communities participate in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS), a voluntary program that rewards communities for exceeding minimum flood mitigation standards. Residents in participating communities can receive NFIP premium discounts of up to 35% in the Special Flood Hazard Area. Properties outside the SFHA also benefit: CRS classes 1 through 6 receive a 10% discount, and classes 7 through 9 receive a 5% discount on NFIP premiums. Check your city's page on FludZone to see if your community participates.

How much does flood insurance cost in Oregon?

The average NFIP flood insurance premium in Oregon is $953 per year across 25,862 active policies. Premiums vary by zone: Zone AE policies average $1,177/yr. Under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0, your specific premium depends on property type, elevation relative to the Base Flood Elevation, and distance to water, not just your flood zone designation.

Which Oregon counties have the highest flood risk?

According to FEMA's National Risk Index, Lane, Multnomah, Washington are among Oregon's highest-risk counties for inland flooding. Overall, 5 of 36 Oregon counties are rated "High" or "Very High" for inland flood risk. County-level ratings account for historical flood losses, social vulnerability, and community resilience.

How many NFIP flood insurance claims has Oregon had?

Oregon has recorded 6,095 NFIP flood insurance claims totaling $106.4M in payouts since 1978. The highest-claim year was 1996, with 1,789 claims and $35.2M in payouts. This history reflects cumulative flood damage to Oregon properties across decades of storm and rainfall events.

How many Oregon properties have flooded repeatedly?

Oregon has 435 properties with multiple flood losses. Of these, 51 are classified as Severe Repetitive Loss, meaning they have experienced four or more NFIP claims of $5,000 or more, or two or more claims where the total exceeds the building value. 22 of these properties have been mitigated.

What percentage of Oregon homes have flood insurance?

Only roughly 1 in 65 households in Oregon carries NFIP flood insurance (2% of estimated households). 33 counties in Oregon have elevated flood risk but low insurance coverage, indicating a significant protection gap.

Are there levees protecting Oregon cities?

Yes. The USACE National Levee Database lists 9 levee systems protecting parts of 3 Oregon cities. 5 are FEMA-accredited (generally mapped as Zone X), 4 are non-accredited (the protected area stays in the SFHA), and 0 are provisionally accredited (PAL, accreditation in progress). Levee protection is system-specific, not citywide - check a specific city's page or use the address search above for the zone at a specific property.

See the Flood Map for Any Oregon Address

Enter a OR address to view its FEMA flood map, zone designation, SFHA status, and insurance requirements.

Disclaimer: Flood risk data on this page is sourced from FEMA datasets including the National Risk Index, NFIP claims and policy records, disaster declarations, and the Community Rating System. These datasets were last extracted on August 2026 and may not reflect the most recent changes. Always verify current flood zone status through FEMA or a licensed determination provider before making property, insurance, or lending decisions.