6 flood insurance claims·$220,922 paid·5 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 Adams County, Iowa. 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Adams County, Iowa, accounting for 26 of the 40 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 14 general flood events. Heavy rainfall driven by stationary boundaries and thunderstorm complexes frequently triggers these occurrences. For instance, a stalled front produced heavy rainfall ranging generally from 2 to 4 inches with reports over 5 inches during July 2016. Similarly, severe thunderstorm complexes moved through the area in July 2015, and storms initiated along a stationary boundary in June 2019, both bringing very heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that historical claims are concentrated in specific hazard areas. Zone A properties experienced 5 claims with an average payout of $53,129 and an average recorded water depth of 56 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X recorded 1 claim averaging an $8,405 payout with an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, where historical claims reflect significantly higher financial losses and deeper floodwaters compared to Zone X.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 32 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.
35 NOAA storm reports from Adams County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 3, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 19, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 10, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
40 since 1996: 26 flash floods and 14 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2019 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2016 | — |
| Flood | Jul 29, 2015 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2015 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2015 | $150,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2014 | $150,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2014 | $50,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 26, 2019. During the evening of the 25th, a number of storms were able to initiate along a relatively stationary boundary situated across southern Iowa. On the warm side of the boundary surface conditions were in the mid 80s for temperature and upper 60s to low 70s dewpoints. Additionally, the conditions yielded an environment with 2000-3000+ J/kg SB/MUCAPE, 30-40 kts of effective bulk shear, 500-700 J/kg CAPE in the hail…
Flash Flood · Jun 25, 2019. During the evening of the 25th, a number of storms were able to initiate along a relatively stationary boundary situated across southern Iowa. On the warm side of the boundary surface conditions were in the mid 80s for temperature and upper 60s to low 70s dewpoints. Additionally, the conditions yielded an environment with 2000-3000+ J/kg SB/MUCAPE, 30-40 kts of effective bulk shear, 500-700 J/kg CAPE in the hail…
Flash Flood · Jul 18, 2016. A cold front moved through the state during the afternoon and evening hours of the 17th of July, eventually stalling out and lingering across central and southern Iowa. Resulting issues were primarily heavy rain focused, with amounts generally in the 2 to 4 inch range with a lone report of over 5 inches. A couple flash flood reports occurred as a result of the heavy rainfall. In addition to the heavy rainfall, a…
Flood · Jul 29, 2015. A boundary was pushing through the state with ongoing convection through central Iowa through the day. As the boundary neared the area, the convection intensified and impacted central and southern Iowa in the evening to early morning hours. Two thunderstorm complexes moved through portions of central and southern Iowa with very heavy rainfall causing flash flooding. The severe thunderstorm complexes produced some…
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 Adams 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.