Enter any address in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is a significant flood character in Cerro Gordo County. Between 2004 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 50 flood events and 32 flash flood events. For example, heavy rain in late June 2024 caused renewed flash flooding and significant river flooding in the region. Earlier, in February 2023, rain on top of a snowpack sent the Winnebago River into minor flood stage in Mason City.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $17,939 and an average water depth of 10.5 feet. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED also saw substantial claims with an average payout of $13,908 and an average water depth of 14.5 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
72 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa has recorded 82 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 32 flash floods and 50 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 6, 2018 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Sep 21, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 25, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 2, 1999 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Flood | Jun 13, 1998 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Apr 13, 1993 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 27, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 19, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | 200.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 20, 2018 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Apr 14, 2018 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Jun 9, 2018 | 50.00K |
Flood — Jun 22, 2024
Heavy rain fell over portions of northern Iowa, especially northwestern Iowa and bordering states later on June 20 through early on June 21. This rainfall caused flash flooding in portions of northwest Iowa and also aided in saturating the soil. As another round of heavy rain fell later on June 21 into the night and morning of June 22, this rainfall led to renewed flash flooding. This rainfall ...
Flood — Feb 27, 2023
A large and unseasonably warm system brought showers and thunderstorms to the state. Over an inch of rain fell across much of Iowa. In northern Iowa, this was on top of a snowpack of two to four inches. The quick rain on top of frozen group resulted in runoff sufficient to send the Winnebago River at Mason City into minor river flooding. The river exceeded minor flood stage and quickly crested ...
Flood — Apr 13, 2022
Initial storms developed within the warm sector of a surface low that tracked northwest of the area, followed by a strong cold front with associated dry line that produced a quasi-linear (QLCS) storm mode later in the evening. Several tornadoes occurred across western into northern Iowa. Initially the tornadoes were associated with supercell storms, however later storms produced QLCS tornadoes...
Flood — Mar 19, 2019
Much of the river flooding occurred across Iowa through the middle of the month when the area lost its snowpack and received heavy rainfall. A secondary period of flood was observed on the Winnebago River at Mason City from snowmelt and heavy rain that fell across southern Minnesota toward the latter half of the month. Other rivers in northern Iowa remain in flood through the end of March and i...
Flood — Mar 15, 2019
Higher than average snowfall through the winter created a wet snowpack across much of Iowa which was still present into early March. A large storm system impacted the region through the middle of March which brought heavy rain and warm temperatures to the state. This system allowed much of the snowpack to melt across the state within a few days to a week. This heavy rain fell on frozen ground a...
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 Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo 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.