Enter any address in McDonough County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in McDonough County. Between 1996 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 45 flash flood events and 31 general flood events. For example, on July 19, 2025, heavy rainfall from decaying thunderstorms caused flash flooding in Macomb. Another event on July 11, 2025, saw 2 to 4 inches of rain in a few hours, contributing to flash flooding in nearby areas.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties with unknown flood zones have experienced claims with an average payout of $8,675 and an average water depth of 8.3 feet. Properties in Zone A have seen higher average water depths of 13.0 feet, with an average payout of $8,149. Notably, a single claim in a Zone X_Shaded area resulted in a higher average payout of $27,541 with an average water depth of 5.0 feet. Homeowners in areas with unknown flood zones, Zone A, and Zone X_Shaded should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
18 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
McDonough County, Illinois has recorded 76 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 45 flash floods and 31 river or area floods. The county has received 11 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1999–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 6, 2003 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Tornado | Apr 21, 2002 |
| Illinois Winter Snow Storms | Snowstorm | Dec 11, 2000 |
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 | Jul 11, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 26, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 19, 2025
A decaying line of thunderstorms moved into Muscatine on the morning of July 19th. This produced heavy rain with trained spotters reports ranging from 3 to 4 inches of rain. This rain falling on already saturated ground led to flash flooding in Macomb.
Flash Flood — Jul 11, 2025
On July 11th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Iowa and into northwest Illinois. These storms produced damaging straight-line winds and very heavy rain. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches fell in a few hours across the Quad Cities, on top of heavy rain from the previous night and caused flash flooding in Moline and Bureau County. A Considerable Flash Flood warning was issued a...
Flash Flood — Jul 15, 2024
Thunderstorms rapidly developed over northern Iowa during the afternoon and organized into a powerful line of wind producing storms that surged through the Quad Cities and into northern and central Illinois through the evening hours. These storms brought widespread damaging winds up to 100 mph for many locations, extending across eastern Iowa, much of Illinois, and into Indiana. The Storm Pre...
Flood — Jun 1, 2022
An area of thunderstorms moved over the same areas repeatedly, and resulted in very heavy rain and flash flooding in west central Illinois in the early morning hours of June 1st, 2022.
Flash Flood — Jul 11, 2021
A stalled storm system centered near Galesburg Illinois brought several rounds of showers and embedded thunderstorms to northwest Illinois through the day. These showers and thunderstorms were slow moving westward across the area and were efficient rainfall producers. Trained spotters reported 2 to 4 inches of rain in Hancock and McDonough Counties that lead to flash flooding from the late mor...
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 McDonough 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 McDonough 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.