Enter any address in Scott County, Illinois to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the primary flood hazard in Scott County, IL. Between 1993 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 31 flash flood events and 11 general flood events in the county. Recent occurrences include flash flooding on May 24, 2024, and June 25, 2021, which impacted southern portions of the county. Another event on May 16, 2020, caused flash flooding of county roads and city viaducts due to 3 to 4 inches of rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A experienced an average payout of $3,460 with an average water depth of 0.2 feet. Properties in Zone X_SHADED had a similar average payout of $3,510 with no reported water depth. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in areas with unknown flood risk, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
10 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Scott County, Illinois has recorded 42 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 31 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 18 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2023)
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 Storms And Flooding | Flood | Feb 24, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 13, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 1, 2008 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Nov 30, 2006 |
| Tornadoes And Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Mar 11, 2006 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 19, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2015 | 300.00K |
| Flood | Jul 12, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 11, 2014 | 0.00K |
Flash 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 ...
Flash Flood — Jun 25, 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 ...
Flash Flood — May 16, 2020
Several clusters of slow-moving thunderstorms tracked along and just north of a warm front draped along the I-64 corridor during the afternoon and evening of May 16th. The storms dropped 3 to 4 inches of rain across the southern sections of Scott, Morgan, and Sangamon counties...including 3.84 just southeast of Curran in Sangamon County and 3.05 in Murrayville in Morgan County. The heavy rain...
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...
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 Scott 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 Scott 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.