Minidoka County, ID Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by winter weather. 160 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $7.6M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 160
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 10
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 20.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 31.7 of 100
Community resilience
Very Low
Score 5.6 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $5.47B · Agriculture value exposed: $456M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $7.7M
Risk by hazard
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$241K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$1.12M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 209 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$1.02M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.9 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$65.86K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 236 years
- Volcanic activityVery Low$20/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,000 years
- LightningRelatively Low$256K/yr expected annual loss, about 22 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$808K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- DroughtVery Low$15K/yr expected annual loss, about 58 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Low$159K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Ice stormVery Low$6,401/yr expected annual loss, about once every 67 years
- LandslideVery Low$27/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11 years
- HailVery Low$30.58K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- TornadoVery Low$49.62K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 10 of 7,983 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 5
- Claims paid since 1978
- $187K
Flood claims paid per year
Storm history
Since 1996: 160 events, 1 death, $11.35M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind67
- Winter Storm20
- High Wind17
- Hail13
- Heavy Snow8
- Wildfire8
- Winter Weather6 · 1 death
- Flood5
- Heavy Rain3
- Excessive Heat3
Events per year
5 tornadoes on record (F0 2, F1 1, F2 2).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Winter Weather04/13/2022
Eastern Magic Valley
1 death
What happened
A single engine Cessna 208B crashed into Gem State Processing in Heyburn a potato processing plant. The pilot was heading into the Burley Municipal Airport and crashed into the building at around 835 AM MDT. It occurred during a heavy snow showers and the visibility at the airport was around 1 mile between 8 and 9 AM. It is possible the visibility was a factor and the pilot was killed in the accident.
- Flood02/04/2017
Adelaide, Minidoka County
$6.14M damage
What happened
A warmup very early in the month caused massive sheet flooding as the snow melt from extreme December and January snows began rapidly early in the month. Nearly all roads experienced major flooding with as much as 4 feet of water on some roadways. The county did not have enough signs to indicate all the road closures. By the 14th of the month the only main roadways north of Meridian Road that were open were 400 West Road and 600 West Road. Highway 24 from Rupert to Acequia was closed by the 12th. Many roads were lost due to the damage. A large number of homes received massive flooding damage. Rural home damage to wells and septic systems occurred contaminating water. The state declared Minidoka County a disaster with some of the most significant flood damage in the state occurring there. The city of Paul's main pump station became completely submerged under water. The month's damage in dollar amounts exceeded 6 million dollars. Over 50,000 sandbags were ordered.
- Heavy Rain08/01/2014
Paul, Minidoka County
$4M damage
What happened
Minidoka County was declared a natural disaster area by the USDA due to barley crop loss in August from heavy rains. Eastern Idaho lost about 64 million dollars of barley crops due to the rains with a portion of that occurring in Minidoka County.
- Flood03/01/2017
Adelaide, Minidoka County
$425K damage
What happened
Extensive flooding continued throughout Minidoka County in March although effects did diminish significantly from February. Road and property damage remained substantial however despite the improved conditions from February.
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind03/26/2006
Countywide, Minidoka County
$240K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind68 kt wind07/21/1999
Rupert, Minidoka County
$200K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Excessive Heat07/01/2026
Eastern Magic Valley
- High Wind50 kt wind06/10/2026
Shoshone-Lava Beds
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/13/2026
Minidoka, Minidoka County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/13/2026
Paul, Minidoka County
- Thunderstorm Wind58 kt wind05/13/2026
Heyburn, Minidoka County
- Thunderstorm Wind57 kt wind05/13/2026
Minidoka, Minidoka County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/13/2026
Minidoka, Minidoka County
- Thunderstorm Wind54 kt wind05/13/2026
Minidoka, Minidoka County
Drinking water
9 community water systems serve about 10,793 people. Violations since 2021.
2 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 5 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Rupert City ofServes 5,796 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Heyburn City ofServes 3,000 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Paul City ofServes 1,195 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Paul Housing AuthorityServes 250 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+54 monitoring or reporting
- Pelican Point SubdivisionServes 142 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
- Jbs Country CourtServes 140 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+10 monitoring or reporting
- Minidoka City ofServes 120 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+23 monitoring or reporting
- Heyburn EstatesServes 100 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+2 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Minidoka Dam, 13 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 89°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 18°F in Jan. About 9.8 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 20.5 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 18°F | 1.15 in | 6.7 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 22°F | 0.76 in | 4.2 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 28°F | 0.85 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 33°F | 0.99 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 70°F | 41°F | 1.34 in | - |
| Jun | 79°F | 48°F | 0.72 in | - |
| Jul | 89°F | 54°F | 0.16 in | - |
| Aug | 88°F | 52°F | 0.33 in | - |
| Sep | 78°F | 44°F | 0.68 in | - |
| Oct | 64°F | 34°F | 0.78 in | 0.7 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 26°F | 0.86 in | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 19°F | 1.18 in | 4.6 in |
| Year | 49°F average | 9.80 in | 20.5 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 3 toxic release facilities in Minidoka County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Amalgamated Sugar Co2.3 million lbs released, Paul
- Gossner Foods - Magic Valley Inc.355 lbs released, Heyburn
- Performix Nutrition Systems LLC297 lbs released, Rupert
Total: 2.3 million lbs in 2024, 2.1 million lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk3 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Minidoka County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Minidoka County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $7.6M a year. The highest-rated hazards are winter weather (relatively moderate), earthquake (relatively low), heat wave (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Minidoka County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 160 storm events affecting Minidoka County, most often thunderstorm wind (67), winter storm (20), high wind (17).
- How many tornadoes have hit Minidoka County?
- 5 tornadoes have been recorded in Minidoka County since 1950.
- How many homes in Minidoka County have flood insurance?
- 10 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Minidoka County, covering about 0.1% of homes. The program has paid $187K on 5 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Minidoka County?
- At Minidoka Dam, average highs reach 89°F in Jul and lows fall to 18°F in Jan, with 9.8 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.