1 flood insurance claims·$0 paid·7 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 Buena Vista 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.
Standard river flooding events dominate the historical flood profile, backed by 53 recorded flood events compared to 17 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent history illustrates these multi-day weather impacts. A significant heavy rainfall event from June 20 to 22, 2024 brought widespread rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches, causing major to record flooding along area streams and rivers that devastated communities and resulted in extensive overland flooding. Earlier that year, multiple rounds of thunderstorms from May 19 to 21, 2024 produced 2 to 4 inches of rain, causing water ponding in fields, inundating gravel roads in northern Buena Vista County, and driving water level rises along waterways through the Little Sioux River Basin. Historic river levels from the June event also remained above flood stage into July 2024.
NFIP historical claims data includes 1 claim in an unknown zone, which recorded an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Properties near rivers, streams, and low-lying areas should pay the most attention to flood risk in this county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
12 NOAA storm reports from Buena Vista County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 6, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 14, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 19, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Apr 9, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
70 since 1996: 17 flash floods and 53 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 21, 2024 | $85,000 |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | $2.4M |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 13, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 13, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 10, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 21, 2024. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms during the May 19th through 21st timeframe produced areas of heavy rainfall across the region. As much as 2 to 4 inches of rain fell during the 3 day period. Ponding of water in fields and low lying areas was common with largely saturated soils already in place prior to the additional rainfall. Some gravel roads were also inundated, mainly across northern Buena Vista County. Rises…
Flood · Jun 21, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches across portions of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating several towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in significant impacts and damages. All rive…
Flood · Jul 1, 2024. River levels from the historic June flooding remained above flood stage for some locations into July, although continued a declining trend.
Flash Flood · May 13, 2023. A weakening upper level low pressure area moved into far southeast South Dakota by early evening. Slow moving thunderstorms developed within a very narrow axis which nosed into Buena Vista County, where the environment featured maximized and collocated 0-3km shear and 0-3km CAPE, and resulted in a few brief tornadoes connected with storm development phase. In addition, very efficient thermodynamic profiles result…
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 Buena Vista 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.