Natural hazards · Meridian

Meridian, ID natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Meridian comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2010.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Meridian?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Meridian to be higher than in 9% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Heat waves10%Earthquakes7%Strong wind5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Meridian faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamis

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Meridian flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Meridian, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 2010

$24Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20102026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Meridian is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Ada County.

Disasters that hit Meridian

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Ada County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Meridian itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into MeridianDeclared for Ada County only

Ada County has had 4 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Meridian

Meridian and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Eaglemostly inland floodingModerate

Kunamostly inland floodingLow

Boise Citymostly inland floodingLow

Meridianmostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Meridian covers 25 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Meridian’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Meridian. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Meridian total about $14.9M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.