Enter any address in Sangamon County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Sangamon County. Between 1994 and 2024, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 65 flash flood events and 15 flood events, with two associated fatalities. Recent events include urban flash flooding in Springfield on August 30, 2024, and a flash flood event on May 20, 2025.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data reveals that properties in Zone A, which typically has a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), experienced 131 claims with an average payout of $14,694 and an average water depth of 5.8 feet. However, properties in Zone X, which is considered a moderate to low flood risk area, had the highest average payout at $18,217 with an average water depth of 7.8 feet, indicating that significant flood damage can occur outside of high-risk zones. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
40 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Sangamon County, Illinois has recorded 80 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 65 flash floods and 15 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 (1974–2023)
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 Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Nov 30, 2006 |
| Tornadoes And Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Mar 11, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Tornado | Apr 21, 2002 |
| 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 | May 20, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 2, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 24, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2023 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2023 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 7, 2023 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — May 20, 2025
A warm front lifted slowly northward through central Illinois during the afternoon of May 20th. A few showers developed in the vicinity of the boundary...with one of the cells producing a brief EF-0 tornado near Oakland in northeastern Coles County. Meanwhile further west, scattered supercell thunderstorms formed in the warm sector ahead of a cold front crossing the Mississippi River. Some o...
Flash Flood — Apr 2, 2025
An area of low pressure tracked from southeastern Nebraska during the morning of April 2nd to western Wisconsin by evening, triggering two rounds of convection across central Illinois.||Round 1 occurred during the morning when a line of thunderstorms along the trailing cold front pushed into the Illinois River Valley. These storms were generally sub-severe, but one cell produced a downburst wi...
Flash Flood — Aug 30, 2024
A cold front interacting with a seasonably warm and moist environment triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of August 30th. One cell dropped nickel-sized hail, while others produced wind gusts of around 60mph and minor wind damage. In addition, urban flash flooding occurred across portions of Springfield and Champaign. N...
Flash Flood — Apr 27, 2024
A cold front was positioned well west of the area on the evening of April 27, 2024. A strengthening low-level jet resulted in scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms developing across central Illinois. These storms produced isolated wind damage and flash flooding during the late evening.
Flood — May 24, 2024
On the morning of May 24th a low pressure system was located over the eastern Dakotas, with Illinois positioned in the warm sector. Over the course of the day, several rounds of thunderstorms occurred. First, a squall line tracked across Iowa and reached Illinois by the morning. The most intense part of this squall line tracked north of central Illinois, but the system did produce one instance ...
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 Sangamon 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 Sangamon 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.