Enter any address in Menard County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Menard County. Between 1993 and 2023, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 23 flash flood events compared to 3 general flood events. For example, a flash flood occurred on February 22, 2023, associated with a warm front. Another event on April 29, 2017, brought heavy rainfall leading to widespread areal flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A experienced the highest average payouts and water depths, though Zone X also had a significant number of claims with substantial payouts and water depth. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, and those in Zone X, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Menard County, Illinois has recorded 26 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 23 flash floods and 3 river or area floods. The county has received 12 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 (1973–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Tornado | Dec 10, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| 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 | Tornado | Apr 21, 2002 |
| Illinois Winter Snow Storms | Snowstorm | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Winter Storm 1/1/99 | Snowstorm | Jan 1, 1999 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 28, 1996 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Feb 22, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2010 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Feb 22, 2023
A warm front draped along the I-72 corridor served as the initial focusing mechanism for convection across central Illinois on February 22nd. Midday temperatures ranged from the upper 30s north of the boundary in the Peoria area to the lower 70s along and south of I-70. An upper-level disturbance interacting with the sharp temperature gradient triggered clusters of strong to severe thundersto...
Flood — May 1, 2019
Heavy rainfall on April 30th led to areal flooding of many central Illinois communities from Morgan County northeastward to DeWitt County on May 1st. Overflowing creeks and water flowing out of farm fields caused the closure of numerous roads. IL-78 just south of the Jacksonville Airport in Morgan County was closed for a time, as were several county roads in Menard and Logan counties.
Flood — Apr 29, 2017
Heavy rainfall impacted central and southeast Illinois from April 29th into April 30th...creating flash flooding, which led to widespread areal flooding. Periods of thunderstorms with very high rainfall rates dropped 2.00 to 6.50 inches of rain across much of central and southeast Illinois from April 29th into early on May 1st. This rainfall, occurring on top of already saturated soils, created...
Flash Flood — Apr 29, 2017
Low pressure tracking along a stationary frontal boundary near the I-70 corridor brought widespread strong to severe thunderstorms to much of central and southeast Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of April 29th. A tornado briefly touched down in an open field northeast of Alexander in Morgan County. Elsewhere, thunderstorms packed winds of 60-70mph and caused significant wind da...
Flash Flood — Aug 12, 2016
An approaching cold front triggered thunderstorms across central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of August 12th. Due to copious amounts of moisture in the atmosphere and the slow-moving nature of the storms, extremely heavy rain fell along and just west of I-55. The heaviest rain occurred in a swath from southern Woodford County southward into western Sangamon County where 3.00...
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 Menard 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 Menard 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.