17 flood insurance claims·$101,447 paid·12 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 Allamakee 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.
River overflow along the Mississippi and area river basins dominates the flood profile of Allamakee County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA records show 37 general flood events resulting in 1 death, alongside 33 flash flood events.
Recent events illustrate this river flood risk. Above-normal rainfall in June 2024, combined with up to 5 inches of rain between June 20th and 22nd, pushed the Mississippi River, Cedar River, and other regional basins into flood stage that persisted into July. Heavy rain in August 2025 similarly drove minor to moderate flooding along the Upper Iowa, Turkey, Little Cedar, and Cedar Rivers.
Properties near rivers should pay the most attention to flood risk. FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple zones, including 12 claims in Zone A averaging an $8,501 payout with an average recorded water depth of 6 inches, and 3 claims in Zone X averaging a $10,999 payout with an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. An additional claim was recorded in Zone UNKNOWN and Zone X_UNSHADED.
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 6 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 2013, with 6 claims and $20,813 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and 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.
42 NOAA storm reports from Allamakee County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 12 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Apr 24, 2023 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jul 19, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 21, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Aug 23, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 20, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 14, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 21, 2013 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
70 since 1996: 33 flash floods and 37 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 19, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 30, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 24, 2024 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Jun 24, 2024 | $35,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2024 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | $31,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Aug 19, 2025. Heavy rain throughout the middle of August contributed to rises along many area rivers in northeast Iowa. This included minor to moderate flooding along portions of the Little Cedar and Cedar Rivers, as well as the Upper Iowa and Turkey Rivers.
Flood · Jun 30, 2024. Well above average rainfall throughout June in conjunction with late-month heavy rainfall contributed to additional rises into flood stage along the Mississippi River. River gauges at both Guttenberg and Lansing reached minor flood stage before the end of the month and observed rising river levels into July.
Flood · Jun 24, 2024. Above normal rainfall over the course of June, combined with a robust rainfall event between June 20th and 22nd, led to widespread river flooding across portions of northeast Iowa. Rainfall amounts upwards of 5 inches between the 20th and 22nd allowed the Mississippi River, Cedar River and many other river basins in northeast Iowa to enter flood stage towards the end of June. Flooding along the Mississippi River m…
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2024. On June 22nd, an initial round of thunderstorms produced localized flash flooding in Fayette County. A secondary round of storms moved through northeast Iowa during the afternoon, producing localized flooding and wind damage in Allamakee County.
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 Allamakee 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.