Enter any address in Audubon County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Audubon County experiences a mix of flood types, with flash flooding from thunderstorms being a notable concern. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data indicates 23 flood events and 11 flash flood events. For example, heavy rainfall from thunderstorms contributed to flash flooding on August 21, 2017, and May 6, 2012.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties designated as Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $11,348 and an average water depth of 11.0 feet. While Zone X_Unshaded areas have seen fewer claims, they still represent a risk. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in other designated flood zones, should pay close attention to flood risk information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
26 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Audubon County, Iowa has recorded 34 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 11 flash floods and 23 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 26, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 21, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 19, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 25, 2008 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2013 | 30.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2012 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 25, 2007 | 250.00K |
| Flood | May 6, 2007 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2007 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2007 | 75.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2007 | 10.00K |
Flood — Mar 15, 2019
Reports from the 13h through the 19th in this entry. ||A relatively deep and widespread snowpack existed across the region during early to mid March. Many areas in central and northern Iowa had around a foot to two feet of snow on the ground, along with many areas in upstream river basins in Minnesota and the Dakotas having similar or deeper snowpacks on the ground. Additionally, with the below...
Flash Flood — Aug 21, 2017
With the help of a couple weak boundaries in the area, storms initiated on the nose of the low level jet and generally remained over the same areas overnight. The primary result of the storms was heavy rainfall, though a few initial storms were able to produce damaging winds and severe hail within 2000+ J/kg CAPE and borderline effective bulk shear around 30 kts. Other than the few initial sev...
Flash Flood — Jun 24, 2013
The outflow boundary from the previous night's convection was draped across southern Iowa east to west. As the low level jet increased to 30 kts during the evening, thunderstorms broke out north of the boundary and moved across central and southern Iowa. The atmosphere was unstable with 2000 to 3000 J/kg of elevated CAPE. There was 1000 J/kg of downdraft CAPE and 600 J/lg in the -10 to -30 C...
Flash Flood — May 6, 2012
A cold front stretched from western Minnesota, across southeast South Dakota, into Nebraska during the evening of the 5th. The front moved slowly southeast into Iowa during the overnight hours. The airmass was very unstable in advance of the front with lifted indices of -3 to -6 and elevated CAPE of 2000 to 3000 J/kg. A strong low level jet of 50 kts developed by the late evening hours with ...
Flood — Jun 12, 2010
Heavy rainfall during the month of June caused considerable crop losses across the state. Crop damage was done through a combination of inundation flooding and losses due to crops not being able to be planted or rotting in the ground. It is not possible to get a clear breakdown of the percent of damage that can be attributed to each cause. The damage here is not related to the river flooding...
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 Audubon County, Iowa:
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 Audubon County, Iowa 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.