57 flood insurance claims·$746,505 paid·7 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Carroll County, Illinois. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
River overflow along the Mississippi and flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominate the flood history of Carroll County, IL. Over the last 30 years, NOAA recorded 30 flash flood events and 19 general flood events. Recent activity includes significant flooding in April 2023 along the mainstem Mississippi resulting from record winter snowfall, frozen ground, and rapid snowmelt in Minnesota and Wisconsin, which affected roads, businesses, homes, and residents. Additionally, slow-moving storms and heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in August 2022, while heavy rains in July 2024 prolonged high river crests.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data show payouts and water depths across different zones. Zone X recorded 21 claims with an average payout of $14,275 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone A saw 19 claims averaging $19,986 with an average water depth of 3 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED logged 11 claims with an average payout of $20,549 and an average water depth of 6 inches. Zone X_SHADED had 3 claims averaging $30,122 with an average water depth of 21 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN recorded 3 claims averaging $392 with an average water depth of 1 inch.
Properties near rivers and those located in mapped flood zones such as Zone A, Zone X_SHADED, and Zone X_UNSHADED should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
42% of Carroll County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
33 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2010, with 18 claims and $328,692 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
15 NOAA storm reports from Carroll County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 24, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 19, 2010 |
| Record Snow And Near Record Snow | Feb 5, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Flooding | Apr 18, 2001 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Apr 13, 1993 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
49 since 1996: 30 flash floods and 19 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 7, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 25, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 19, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Apr 27, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2024. Several rounds of showers and storms were noted shortly after midnight in northwest Illinois, with a resurgence of showers and storms once again in the afternoon and night. These produced heavy rainfall and isolated severe winds.
Flood · Jul 7, 2024. Rain that fell during the month of June across Minnesota and Wisconsin caused rises on the Mississippi River, along the Iowa and Illinois border. Additionally, heavy rain that fell locally in July helped to prolong the crest and delay the river falling below flood stage, especially south of the Wapsipinicon, Rock, and Iowa Rivers.
Flood · Apr 25, 2023. Significant flooding occurred on the mainstem Mississippi largely due to the record snowfall this winter in Minnesota and Wisconsin, frozen ground, rapid snowmelt during the middle of April, and saturated soils. Major flooding was observed at all sites along the Mississippi north of Keokuk Iowa and most sites saw one of their top 10 crests on record.|This flooding had numerous impacts, with many roads, businesses…
Flash Flood · Aug 19, 2022. A cold core low moved over the area, dragging along a weak and slow moving surface low. Although weak, sufficient low level and upper forcing aided in developing strong to severe storms. Instability and shear were strong enough for a few supercell thunderstorms to develop and bring hail, strong winds, and heavy rain to the area. The storms were slow moving. which allowed some storms to anchor over locations for an…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Carroll County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.