2,132 flood insurance claims·$18.9M paid·9 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 Rock Island 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.
Riverine flooding and flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominate Rock Island County, with NOAA records detailing 81 flood events resulting in 2 deaths and 38 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Recent impacts include severe storms in July 2025 that dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain within hours across the Quad Cities, triggering a Flash Flood Emergency in Moline. Additionally, high water levels on the Mississippi River during July 2024 prolonged river crests due to heavy local rainfall and upstream runoff from Minnesota and Wisconsin.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, indicating widespread exposure. Zone A accounts for the vast majority of claims with 1540 filings, averaging a payout of $13,054 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Properties located in Zone A and lower-risk zones should pay the most attention to flood risk, as Zone X properties recorded an average water depth of 18 inches across 79 claims, while Zone X_SHADED and Zone X_UNSHADED properties averaged 8 and 7 inches of water depth, respectively.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
7% of Rock Island County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,649 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 9 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 1979, with 397 claims and $761,962 paid, the year of Severe Storms & 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.
52 NOAA storm reports from Rock Island County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 24, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 1, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Flooding | Apr 18, 2001 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Apr 13, 1993 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Feb 23, 1985 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
119 since 1996: 38 flash floods and 81 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 2, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 25, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 24, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 21, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 at 5:26 PM followed b…
Flash Flood · Jul 10, 2025. During the evening hours of July 10th, a line of thunderstorms developed in eastern Iowa and moved into northwest Illinois. These storms produced isolated large hail and damaging wind gusts in Carroll, Jo Daviess, Henry, Bureau, and Rock Island Counties. These storms also produced heavy rain, mainly along and north of interstate 80. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4.50 inches were reported that produced some flash floo…
Flood · Jul 3, 2024. Rain that fell during the month of June across Minnesota and Wisconsin caused rises on the Mississippi River, along the Iowa and Illinois border. Additionally, heavy rain that fell locally in July helped to prolong the crest and delay the river falling below flood stage, especially south of the Wapsipinicon, Rock, and Iowa Rivers.
Flood · Jul 2, 2024. Rain that fell during the month of June across Minnesota and Wisconsin caused rises on the Mississippi River, along the Iowa and Illinois border. Additionally, heavy rain that fell locally in July helped to prolong the crest and delay the river falling below flood stage, especially south of the Wapsipinicon, Rock, and Iowa Rivers.
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 Rock Island 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.