Enter any address in McLean County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in McLean County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database has recorded 38 flash flood events and 7 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on July 8th, 2025, and May 7th, 2023, both associated with atmospheric disturbances and frontal systems.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that while Zone A areas have the most claims (51), properties in Zone X have experienced the highest average payouts ($17,111) and water depths (4.6 ft). Homeowners in Zone A, Zone X, and those in areas with unknown flood risk should pay close attention to flood potential.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
24 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
McLean County, Illinois has recorded 45 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 38 flash floods and 7 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 (1968–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | 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 |
| Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 14, 1990 |
| Tornadoes | Tornado | Apr 11, 1974 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Apr 26, 1973 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 7, 2023 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 7, 2023 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2021 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2021 | 11.80M |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2021 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 8, 2025
An upper-level disturbance interacting with an outflow boundary triggered scattered showers and thunderstorms in the Illinois River Valley during the morning of July 8th. This initial band of showers tended to dissipate toward midday: however, as the atmosphere destabilized during peak heating, an uptick in convective development was noted further east along and east of I-55 by late afternoon ...
Flash Flood — May 7, 2023
A warm front lifting northward into central Illinois triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms during the late evening of May 6th into the early morning of May 7th. The initial cluster tracked through the Illinois River Valley east-southeastward toward Champaign...generally along and north of I-72. Additional cells developed in its wake along and north of the front, eventually cong...
Flash Flood — Jun 25, 2022
A cold front triggered bands of strong to severe thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the evening of June 25th. Some of the cells produced wind gusts up to 60mph, resulting in scattered wind damage. In addition, excessive rainfall rates led to localized flash flooding with some of the stronger storms.
Flash Flood — Jul 23, 2022
A complex of thunderstorms developed overnight along a warm front in northern Illinois. These storms slowly shifted southward, reaching central Illinois by early afternoon. Storms produced hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding north of the I-74 corridor before dissipating during the evening.
Flash Flood — Jun 26, 2021
A series of disturbances tracking along a nearly stationary frontal boundary resulted in two periods of heavy rainfall across parts of central Illinois on June 25th and June 26th. The hardest hit areas were across southern McLean County into far northern Logan County, as well as across southern portions of Scott and Morgan counties. The first wave of heavy rain began around 7pm CDT June 25th ...
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 McLean 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 McLean 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.