110 flood insurance claims·$2.4M paid·2 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 Massac 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.
Prolonged river flooding and general flooding events dominate the historical record in Massac County, accompanied by frequent flash flooding. Over a 30-year period, NOAA recorded 107 flood events compared to 19 flash flood events.
Recent weather patterns illustrate this vulnerability. Heavy rainfall ranging from 2 to 5 inches caused minor flooding in Metropolis and flash flooding north of Golconda on February 15, 2025. This heavy precipitation across the lower Ohio and Tennessee Valleys led to rising water levels on the Ohio River, resulting in minor to moderate flooding near Golconda, Cairo, Olmsted, Paducah, and Smithland that persisted into early March 2025.
Federal insurance claims data shows that properties in high-risk areas bear the heaviest financial impact. Zone A accounts for 63 claims with an average payout of $39,178 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Shaded Zone X properties experienced 23 claims with an average payout of $18,634 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Standard Zone X properties recorded 11 claims with an average payout of $21,691 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners located in Zone A and shaded Zone X areas should pay the closest attention to flood risks given these historical claim frequencies and payout averages.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
29% of Massac County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
89 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 2011, with 62 claims and $1.5M 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.
42 NOAA storm reports from Massac County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Nov 17, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Record/near Record Snow | Dec 21, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 6, 2003 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Apr 21, 2002 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 1, 1997 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
126 since 1996: 19 flash floods and 107 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 16, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 16, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 17, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2023 | $250,000 |
| Flood | Jan 2, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Jan 8, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 16, 2025. A 500mb shortwave trough moved across the Upper Midwest with height falls across the Quad State during the afternoon and evening of the 16th. The exit region of a strong (125kt) upper level jet was positioned across the area as well. Low-level winds strengthened during the afternoon to 50kts at 850mb. Following the early AM convection, ample sunshine allowed for a very unstable airmass to develop with CAPE of 3000…
Flood · Feb 16, 2025. Heavy rain (3 to 7) over the lower Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on the 15th resulted in rising water levels on the Ohio River, with moderate flooding near Paducah and Olmsted, and minor flooding near Golconda, Smithland, and Cairo. Minor flooding continued into early March near Olmsted and Cairo.
Flood · Feb 15, 2025. Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall (2-5) across much of southern Illinois through the afternoon and evening of the 15th. The heavy rainfall resulted in flash flooding north of Golconda where a creek overflowed its banks. Minor flooding of the usual trouble spots occurred in Metropolis.
Flood · Jul 17, 2024. Extreme rainfall totals occurred during the morning of the 16th in and around Nashville, Illinois, just northwest of the Quad State region, which resulted in a secondary dam failure. Neighboring portions of Jefferson and Perry Counties received 3-6 and 2-5 inches, respectively. Extensive street flooding occurred in Mount Vernon, while some roads north of Tamaroa flooded for the second time within a week. Through t…
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 Massac 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.