Star Camp · Photo: Tamanoeconomico · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, Star faces more hazard damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Star gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, #49 of 59 in Idaho. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%), then wildfire (30%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2017.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Star faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Wildfire
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Star’s grade
River and rain flooding is 67% of the building damage FEMA expects in Star, and Star’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 30%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #49 of 59 in Idaho; higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Star’s residents live in 6 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Idaho town has higher expected damage than 52% of U.S. towns; within the state, Star has more expected damage per building than 83% of Idaho towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.9M a year in losses across Star: $3.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Star flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2017
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Star, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 98% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Star isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Ada County.The storms Star remembers
None of the 3 disasters declared for Ada County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Star itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20171 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Ada County
Ada County has had 3 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Star after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Star archive →Star and its neighbors
Star is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | B−less damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Star | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Star faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Star
Is Star at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Star has higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #49 of 59 in Idaho. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%) and wildfire (30%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Star flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Star since 2017, $14K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 98% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Star in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Ada County, 25% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Star?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Star’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Star at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (67%), and Star’s rate for it is higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Star.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Star’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.