77 flood insurance claims·$1.5M paid·6 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 Greene 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Greene County, Illinois, accounting for 12 out of 18 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 6 general flood events.
NOAA storm event records illustrate this hazard through multiple severe weather systems, including a mesoscale convective complex that brought flash flooding across the area on July 31, 2021, and an outflow boundary that triggered widespread storms and flash flooding on June 25, 2021.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties located in high-risk Zone A face the heaviest impacts, registering 60 claims with an average payout of $24,247 and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. In contrast, Zone UNKNOWN recorded 16 claims with an average payout of $10,151 and an average water depth of 3 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded a single claim with a payout of $17,245 and an average water depth of 5 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated within Zone A, where the frequency and severity of historical claims are substantially higher.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2% of Greene County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
61 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 8 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 1993, with 36 claims and $1.2M paid, the year of Severe Storms & 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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Greene County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 6 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 Storms And Flooding | Sep 13, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 1, 2008 |
| Tornadoes And Severe Storms | Mar 11, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 6, 2003 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Apr 21, 2002 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
18 since 1996: 12 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 11, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Apr 19, 2013 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2013 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2013 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2021. A mesoscale convective complex moved across portions of eastern Missouri and west central/southwest Illinois. There were several reports of flash flooding, as well as a tornado.
Flash Flood · Jun 25, 2021. A composite outflow boundary extending from the Kansas City area towards southeast Missouri was a focus for new development from the evening hours of June 25th through June 26th. There were numerous reports of damaging winds and flash flooding with this event, as well as a tornado.
Flash Flood · Jun 19, 2021. An outflow boundary from earlier convection moved southward through region, triggering widespread storms. Some of the storms became severe with numerous reports of large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 19, 2015. Several rounds of heavy rain moved through portions of the forecast area on the July 19th and 20th. There were several reports of flash flooding.
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 Greene 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.