Treasure Valley insurance risk data

From 2016 through 2025, NOAA recorded 230 storm events in the Treasure Valley counties and forecast zones, including 26 hail reports on 11 separate days with stones up to 2 inches, and thunderstorm gusts up to 81 mph. FEMA counts 1,829 National Flood Insurance Program policies in force in Ada County and 436 in Canyon County, even though standard homeowners policies generally exclude flood.

We compiled these figures from public data published by FEMA, NOAA, the USDA Forest Service, the Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho State Police; we did not produce the underlying data. Sources, definitions and caveats are listed with each table. Figures retrieved 2026-09-22. This is general education; what a specific policy covers is subject to its terms, exclusions, and any applicable endorsements.

Flood insurance in the Treasure Valley

Idaho has 4,716NFIP flood policies in force statewide. FEMA's claims records show 1,116 Idaho flood claims in all, 359 of them with a loss date from 2017 on, and among those recent claims that resulted in a payment, the average paid was $18,759. The year with the most claims was 2017, with 237 claims statewide and 37 in Ada County, the year the Boise River stayed above flood stage for about 100 days under flood-control releases from Lucky Peak Dam.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Redacted Claims v3 and Policies v3, retrieved 2026-09-22. Policies in force are NFIP policies counted as of the retrieval date; private flood policies are not included. Claims are counted by year of loss, and the average excludes claims closed without payment. FEMA withholds the county on a small number of records for privacy, so county figures do not add up exactly to the statewide total.

Storm events, 2016 to 2025

Thunderstorm wind is the most frequently recorded event type in this data (87 events), followed by heavy snow (63). Wind and hail are generally covered perils under a standard homeowners policy, sometimes with a separate wind/hail deductible, while flood generally is not, subject to the policy's terms, exclusions, and any applicable endorsements.

Largest reported losses

• 2017-01-18, Heavy Snow, Lower Treasure Valley Zone, ID: $100,000,000 in reported property damage.
• 2017-05-01, Flood, Barber, Ada County, ID: $2,000,000 in reported property damage.
• 2017-04-01, Flood, Barber, Ada County, ID: $1,000,000 in reported property damage.
• 2017-03-06, Flood, Barber, Ada County, ID: $1,000,000 in reported property damage.
• 2023-06-06, Flash Flood, Boise, Ada County, ID: $1,000,000 in reported property damage.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, retrieved 2026-09-22. Includes county-level reports for Ada, Canyon, Gem, Payette, Owyhee, Elmore and Boise counties, plus NOAA's Lower and Upper Treasure Valley forecast zones. Damage figures are estimates reported by the National Weather Service and are often left blank, so they understate total losses. The January 2017 figure is recorded against a single forecast zone but likely reflects damage across the wider region. Wildfires are undercounted in this database and are not shown.

Wildfire risk by community

The USDA Forest Service ranks every community by risk to homes (how likely a fire is and how intense it would be where buildings are) and by wildfire likelihood. These are percentile ranks: a value of 90 means 90 percent of comparable places have the same or a lower value. Boise ranks above most Idaho communities, while Nampa and Caldwell rank in the lower half within Idaho but still above most communities nationally.

By county (ranked against other counties): Ada County, 88 vs. Idaho and 99 vs. U.S.; Gem County, 91 vs. Idaho and 99 vs. U.S.; Boise County, 81 vs. Idaho and 98 vs. U.S.; Canyon County, 12 vs. Idaho and 81 vs. U.S.

Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, retrieved 2026-09-22. Percentile ranks compare communities with other communities and counties with other counties, so the two are not directly comparable. “Directly exposed” is the share of buildings in the source's Direct Exposure Zone, generally areas in or next to burnable vegetation. Insurers use their own wildfire models, which can differ.

Vehicle crashes in Ada and Canyon counties

Statewide, ITD recorded 1,929 crashes involving wild animals in 2025. Hitting a deer or elk is generally treated as a comprehensive claim rather than collision, subject to the policy's terms, exclusions, and any applicable endorsements. See auto insurance.

Source: Idaho Transportation Department, Office of Highway Safety, annual Idaho Traffic Crashes reports, retrieved 2026-09-22. Totals are reported crashes; injury crashes combine all non-fatal injury levels. Animal crash counts are published statewide only. 2025 figures are the most recent report.

Vehicle theft in Ada and Canyon counties

Theft of a vehicle is generally covered under comprehensive coverage. No state we serve requires comprehensive by law, though a lender or lessor usually does for a financed or leased vehicle. Coverage is subject to the policy's terms, exclusions, and any applicable endorsements.

Source: Idaho State Police, Crime in Idaho, county totals of reported motor vehicle theft offenses (NIBRS), retrieved 2026-09-22. Counts are incidents reported to law enforcement, not insurance claims. The most recent year may be revised in later ISP reports.

What this means for coverage

• Flood needs its own policy. NFIP policies generally have a 30-day waiting period before coverage starts, so buying during a high-water spring can be too late. See home insurance.
• Check your wind and hail deductible. Some policies apply a separate or percentage deductible to these perils.
• Heavy snow can damage roofs and outbuildings. How collapse from snow load is treated depends on the policy wording.
• Rules differ by state; compare them on our insurance laws by state page.