29 flood insurance claims·$548,341 paid
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 Marion 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 severe thunderstorms dominates the flood risk in Marion County, Illinois, accounting for 31 out of 34 recorded flood events and 5 deaths over the last 30 years. Recent historical events illustrate this pattern, including severe weather and flooding brought by a decaying convective system on April 29, 2025, and flash flooding driven by a stationary front and heavy rain processes on April 4, 2025. Additional flash flooding occurred on August 3, 2023, when widespread heavy rain dropped 1 to 3 inches and higher amounts across the region, as well as during storms on July 17, 2022.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties situated in FEMA flood zones face the most significant financial risk. Specifically, Zone A properties account for the vast majority of claims with 25 filed, averaging a payout of $24,913 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X_Unshaded properties recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 1 inch, and Zone Unknown recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $246 and an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, where historical claims demonstrate the highest frequency and severity of flood impacts.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Marion County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
28 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 7 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 8 claims and $382,100 paid.
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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Marion County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
8 federal disaster declarations since 1990.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Apr 21, 2002 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Apr 18, 1996 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | May 15, 1990 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
34 since 1996: 31 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 29, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 3, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 29, 2025. During the afternoon of April 29th, a QLCS from Oklahoma and southern Kansas entered southwest Illinois. Although the QLCS had been decaying up to this point, it was still capable of producing severe weather. Wind damage, flooding, and hail were all reported as the complex passed from Randolph County through Marion County.
Flash Flood · Apr 4, 2025. A stationary front over southern Missouri along with ample mid-level forcing, moisture, and efficient rain processes resulted in flash flooding across portions of southwest and south central Illinois.
Flash Flood · Aug 3, 2023. Thunderstorms developed over central Missouri during the early evening hours. They moved east/southeast through the overnight hours. Numerous large hail and damaging wind reports were received. During the late evening through overnight hours, widespread heavy rain fell causing flash flooding. There was fairly widespread 1-3 rainfall totals, with isolated 6-8+ in central Missouri and south-central Illinois.
Flash Flood · Jul 17, 2022. Several rounds of storms moved through Marion County during the early morning hours of July 17th causing isolated areas 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 Marion 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.