Enter any address in Henry County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Henry County. Between 2000 and 2020, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 36 flash flood events and 25 flood events. For example, an extended period of showers and thunderstorms brought one to two inches of rain in a short time on June 3, 2020, causing flash flooding. Earlier, on April 30, 2019, a large area of showers and thunderstorms moved through the region, with flash flooding becoming the main impact.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $9,131 and an average water depth of 8.2 feet. Properties in Zone X, while fewer in number, have seen significantly higher average payouts of $18,301, with an average water depth of 2.2 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk, should pay close attention to flood information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
21 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Henry County, Illinois has recorded 61 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 36 flash floods and 25 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Floodng | Flood | Jul 13, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Feb 24, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Nov 30, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Illinois Winter Snow Storms | Snowstorm | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Winter Storm 1/1/99 | Snowstorm | Jan 1, 1999 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 31, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 30, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 26, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2018 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2016 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 3, 2020
An extended period of showers and thunderstorms affected the area June 3-5. The first of these events occurred during morning hours of June 3rd when a a line of thunderstorms moved from eastern Iowa into northwest Illinois along the Interstate 80 corridor and quickly intensified. This line of thunderstorms produced hail, heavy rains, and damaging winds in Henry, Bureau, Putnam, and Warren Co...
Flood — May 31, 2019
Extensive flooding occurred late May and into June across eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois, and northeast Missouri. The last half of May was very wet with 5-8 inches of rain falling over the region. This combined with saturated soils, brought many rivers above Moderate to Major flood levels. Many climate sites only saw 3 days of no precipitation from May 16th to May 31st. |The Wapsipinicon,...
Flash Flood — Apr 30, 2019
A large area of showers and thunderstorms moved through northern Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois from the early morning hours through afternoon hours of April 30th. In the first few hours of the event, large hail occurred with the strongest storms that moved through northeast Missouri into southeast Iowa. As the event continued, flash flooding became the main impact, with flooding reported in port...
Flood — Feb 26, 2019
The early afternoon of February 24th, following a heavy rain event, an ice jam formed on the Rock River near Prophetstown, Illinois. Water rose to flood along the river, especially between Prophetstown and Lyndon Illinois through February 27th. The Rock River at Joslin, downstream of the ice jam, hit major flood stage for a few hours the night of February 26th.
Flood — Mar 14, 2019
Significant flooding occurred across northwest Illinois during March of 2019. Moderate to major flooding was observed on Illinois tributary rivers due to snowmelt, saturated soils, and rainfall from March 9th to 12th. The higher crests occurred on the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers in Illinois during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of March.
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 Henry 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 Henry 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.