Enter any address in Pulaski County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow along the Ohio River is the dominant flood character for Pulaski County. Recent events include prolonged flooding on the Ohio River in March 2025, impacting Shawneetown, Olmsted, and Cairo. Earlier, in February 2025, heavy rainfall caused moderate flooding near Olmsted and minor flooding near Cairo.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED have experienced significant payouts and water depths. Homeowners in low-lying areas near rivers, and those in areas designated as Zone A or Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
47 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pulaski County, Illinois has recorded 137 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 14 flash floods and 123 river or area floods. The county has received 14 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Mar 1, 1997 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 15, 1995 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Apr 13, 1993 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 11, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 28, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2023 | 150.00K |
| Flood | Mar 5, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 8, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flood — Feb 15, 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 — Mar 1, 2025
A prolonged flooding event on the Ohio river, that began in the middle of February, continued into March at Shawneetown, Olmsted, and Cairo. Minor flooding of bottomland continued at all three locations. Heavy rainfall in the middle of February was the cause of rising river levels which lowered just below flood stage at all three sites from the afternoon of the 1st to the early morning of the 2nd.
Flood — May 11, 2024
Heavy rainfall in early May, culminating in the May 8th severe weather and flooding event, resulted in rising river levels on the Lower Ohio, Big Muddy, and Mississippi Rivers, with Thebes returning to minor flood and Murphysboro, Olmsted, and Cairo reaching flood stage shortly after. Minor flooding in Southern Illinois around these river sites lasted 5 to 8 days with impacts limited to low-lyi...
Flood — Mar 28, 2023
A nearly stationary front draped itself from central Texas northeast through the Ohio River Valley and produced multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, some with very heavy rainfall. Scattered showers and thunderstorms resulted in several cases of flooding or flash flooding. One to three inches of rain fell across the region with isolated higher amounts before the front passed east on the...
Flash Flood — Jul 19, 2023
Major flash flooding struck parts of far southern Illinois. The hardest hit counties were Alexander, Pulaski, and Massac in the southern tip of Illinois. Widespread flash flooding of roads made travel difficult or impossible for several hours during the peak of the heaviest rainfall in the morning. There was a bridge that was washed out in Massac County on a secondary road. Among the most impac...
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 Pulaski 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 Pulaski 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.