Enter any address in Johnson County, Arkansas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from strong thunderstorms dominates the flood character in Johnson County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 53 flash flood events, resulting in one fatality, compared to three general flood events. Recent examples include heavy rains causing flash flooding on July 7, 2025, and multiple instances of flash flooding on September 23, 2025, due to training rainfall from a mesoscale convective system.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that while most claims in Zone X (unshaded and shaded) have had minimal water depth and payouts, one claim in Zone A resulted in an average payout of $7,668. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, or those located near waterways that could be prone to flash flooding, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
19 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Johnson County, Arkansas has recorded 56 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 53 flash floods and 3 river or area floods. The county has received 26 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1972–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Hurricane Laura | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 7, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Dec 5, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 24, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Associated Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 14, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 23, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 4, 2022 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 24, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 3, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 28, 2025
Heavy rains impacted portions of the state along a narrow corridor oriented from northwest Arkansas, to central Arkansas, into portions of southeast Arkansas.
Flash Flood — Sep 23, 2025
A stationary front across northern Arkansas and an approaching outflow boundary from the northwest led to the development of an MCS which led many areas receiving rainfall via training and multiple accounts of flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Jun 7, 2025
A cold front swept from northwest to southeast across Arkansas which initiated strong to severe thunderstorms ahead of the line. Of these storms, some would reach severe criteria producing a swath of wind damage and numerous instances of flash flooding across the state of Arkansas.
Flash Flood — Mar 24, 2023
Several inches of rain fell across Arkansas associated with a storm system moving across the region. Flash flooding and some severe weather was noted.
Flash Flood — Nov 4, 2022
A cold front approached Arkansas from the west late Friday night into Saturday morning. Strong to severe thunderstorms developed along and ahead of this front,|with damaging winds and tornadoes observed across the state. This thunderstorm activity grew upscale from singular supercells into a linear QLCS line over the eastern half of Arkansas.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Johnson County, Arkansas:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Johnson County, Arkansas that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.