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Madison County, Idaho

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
11th of 44highest risk in Idaho
$22Mexpected losses a year
3federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Madison County, Idaho has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 59% of US counties. It ranks 11th of 44 counties in Idaho. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and earthquakes. FEMA estimates about $22 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $425 per resident. Since 1976 it has been included in 3 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (2 major disasters). The most recent was in September 2005 (Hurricane Katrina). Only 21 homes here carry federal flood insurance.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Madison County

$9.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Cold wave

Moderate
$5.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
$4 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 80 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow57.8
$9M
Cold waveModerate85.2
$6M
EarthquakeLow87.6
$4M
Heat waveLow77.0
$1M
LightningHigh88.3
$1M
HailLow41.7
$210K
WildfireLow70.3
$194K
Strong windLow19.1
$187K
Winter weatherModerate67.9
$134K
TornadoVery Low9.9
$70K
Ice stormVery Low16.7
$13K
AvalancheLow73.7
$11K
DroughtVery Low21.3
$6K
LandslideLow64.2
$4K
Volcanic activityVery Low64.5
$63

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively low and community resilience is relatively moderate in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Madison County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Flood1
Severe Storm1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Sep 13, 2005Hurricane KatrinaEmergency
Jun 13, 1997Severe Storms, Snowmelt, Land/Mud Slides, FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 6, 1976Dam Collapse, FloodingMajor disaster

Idaho also had 16 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 110 storm reports in Madison County since 1955 and about $5.7 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on September 26, 1959.

6tornadoes
20hail reports, largest 1.75 inches
55damaging thunderstorm winds
19floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Sep 26, 1959F2–0 / 0
May 15, 1984F1–0 / 0
Aug 25, 1955F1–0 / 0
Jul 22, 1973F0–0 / 0
Sep 21, 1962F0–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 1, 2014Heavy RainParkinson$2M
Mar 14, 2018FloodEdmonds$1M
Aug 23, 2024Thunderstorm WindMoody$750K
Jul 15, 2014Flash FloodRexburg$600K
Feb 28, 2006Flash FloodCountywide$357K
May 23, 2023Flash FloodRexburg$150K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through May 13, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Madison County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (21 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$19,923paid on 9 flood claims since 1978
1999costliest year, with $10,742 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Madison County

$414,800median home value (Idaho $418,600, US $332,700)
2002median year homes were built (Idaho 1991, US 1980)
28%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4.2%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 15,145 housing units.

Compare in Idaho

All 44 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Ada CountyModerateInland flooding
Canyon CountyLowInland flooding
Kootenai CountyLowInland flooding
Bonneville CountyModerateInland flooding
Twin Falls CountyLowInland flooding
Bannock CountyLowWildfire
Madison CountyLowInland flooding
Bingham CountyLowInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Bonneville CountyModerate5
Jefferson CountyVery Low4
Fremont CountyVery Low3
Teton CountyVery Low1

Cities in Madison County

Common questions about Madison County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Madison County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Madison County, about $9.3 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $5.6 million.

How many federal disasters has Madison County had?

Madison County has been included in 3 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1976, including 2 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.

Is Madison County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 11th highest of 44 in Idaho. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Madison County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Madison County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Madison County had?

NOAA records list 6 tornadoes in Madison County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on September 26, 1959. The weather service has also logged 20 hail reports and 19 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.