Enter any address in Clay County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates the flood character in Clay County. Between 1996 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 57 flash flood events and 11 general flood events. For example, slow-moving thunderstorms dropped 6-8 inches of rain across southern Clay County on July 19, 2025, causing significant flash flooding from Xenia to Flora. Another event on August 6, 2023, saw strong thunderstorms trigger flash flooding across west-central Illinois.
NFIP claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced higher water depths and larger average payouts compared to Zone X. In Zone A, claims averaged $9,857 with a water depth of 7.0 feet, while Zone X claims averaged $1,855 with a water depth of 1.0 foot. Homeowners in areas identified as Zone A, or those located near waterways that have experienced 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.
31 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Clay County, Illinois has recorded 68 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 57 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 5 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (2002–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Tornado | Apr 21, 2002 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 3, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 3, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 19, 2025
Slow-moving thunderstorms dropped very heavy rainfall across southern Clay County from mid-morning through mid-afternoon of July 19th. Rainfall amounts of 6-8 inches were common along and south of US-50, resulting in significant flash flooding from Xenia to Flora. Further north, rainfall of 3-4 inches caused minor street flooding in parts of Decatur in Macon County.
Flash Flood — Aug 6, 2023
A vigorous short-wave trough interacted with an approaching low pressure system and associated warm frontal boundary to trigger clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the late afternoon of August 6th. Due to enhanced low-level wind shear along and north of the warm front, many of the cells began rotating and spinning up occasional funnel clouds. One of ...
Flash Flood — Aug 3, 2023
A stationary front draped across southern Missouri and far southern Illinois aided thunderstorm development, including a narrow band of training thunderstorms across southeast Illinois during the early morning hours of August 3. These thunderstorms resulted in heavy rainfall, with reports ranging from 2 to 7 inches across Clay County, which led to flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Aug 2, 2022
An outflow boundary from convection earlier in the day served as the primary focusing mechanism for numerous storm clusters along and south of I-70 from the late afternoon of August 1st into the pre-dawn hours of August 2nd. Some of the storms dropped very large hail up to 2 inches in diameter. In addition, continuous back-building cells produced a swath of heavy rainfall in excess of 8 inch...
Flash Flood — Aug 30, 2021
A stationary frontal boundary interacting with a warm and humid airmass triggered scattered strong thunderstorms during the late morning and afternoon of August 30th. One of the cells dropped Doppler radar estimated rainfall of 1.5 to 2.5 in a short amount of time across eastern Clay County. As a result of the excessive rainfall rates, a road south of Camp Travis flooded.
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 Clay County, Illinois:
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 Clay County, Illinois 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.