Enter any address in Madison County, Arkansas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Madison County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 60 flash flood events, resulting in 7 fatalities. For example, on November 4, 2024, strong to severe thunderstorms brought hazardous conditions to northwestern Arkansas due to an unstable air mass and approaching cold front.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A experienced an average water depth of 2.8 feet with an average payout of $8,293. Properties in Zone X, while having a lower average water depth of 1.5 feet, saw significantly higher average payouts of $39,364, indicating substantial damage.
Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone X, as well as those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) on record, should pay particular attention to flood risk and consider appropriate mitigation measures.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
14 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Madison County, Arkansas has recorded 60 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 60 flash floods. The county has received 30 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2026)
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 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Laura | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 23, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 26, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 7, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Nov 4, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 4, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 13, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 7, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 21, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | 0.00K (2 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Apr 26, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 21, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2016 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Nov 4, 2024
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed into and across northwestern Arkansas during the afternoon of the 4th, in an unseasonably moist and unstable air mass ahead of an approaching cold front. The atmosphere became very unstable ahead of the thunderstorms. The deep-layer and low-level wind shear strengthened during the afternoon, in response to a strong storm system translating into the South...
Flash Flood — Apr 13, 2022
A line of thunderstorms developed into northwestern Arkansas during the morning of the 13th, as a cold front moved into the area. A strong thunderstorm within the line produced hail up to nickel size. More impactfully, this line of showers and thunderstorms was slow-moving, with individual cells within the line moving northeasterly repeatedly across the same areas, which resulted in locally hea...
Flash Flood — Feb 7, 2019
A strong cold front moved through the region during the early morning hours of the 7th. Strong thunderstorms occurred along and ahead of the front, with a few of the storms producing severe wind gusts.
Flash Flood — Mar 27, 2018
Widespread thunderstorms developed across eastern Oklahoma during the evening of the 26th as a cold front moved into the area. These thunderstorms slowly spread into northwestern Arkansas during the morning of the 27th. The strongest storms produced a tornado and damaging wind gusts across portions of west-central Arkansas. The heavy rainfall from these thunderstorms resulted in isolated flash ...
Flash Flood — Feb 21, 2018
Widespread showers and thunderstorms developed across much of northwestern Arkansas on the 20th as a cold front moved through the region. A very moist air mass in place ahead of the cold front promoted the development of heavy rainfall from some of this activity. Widespread two to four inches of rain fell across much of northwestern Arkansas through the morning hours of the 21st, with nearly fo...
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 Madison 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 Madison 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.