Enter any address in Decatur County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Decatur County. Recent examples include a flash flood event on June 29th, where robust thunderstorms dropped three inches of rain in a short period, and a flood event on September 29th, 2019, following 2 to 3 inches of prior rainfall.
Another flood event occurred on May 29th, 2019, due to heavy rain and planned dam releases from Lake Red Rock. Residents in areas designated as Zone A, Zone X, or Zone Unknown should pay close attention to flood risk, as these zones have experienced National Flood Insurance Program claims.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
52 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Decatur County, Iowa has recorded 63 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 19 flash floods and 44 river or area floods. The county has received 14 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 (1969–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 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 3, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 25, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Dec 10, 2007 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 5, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 29, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flood | May 29, 2019 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Oct 9, 2018 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Oct 9, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2015 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2014 | 400.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2014 | 150.00K |
| Flood | Jun 27, 2011 | 10.00K |
| Flood | May 25, 2011 | 50.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 29, 2025
On the morning of June 29th robust thunderstorms set up across Decatur county, part of a larger system that dropped across South Dakota and Nebraska into Iowa and merging with convection out of Missouri with increasing moisture convergence. All the ingredients for heavy, efficient rain was in place. PWATs exceeded two inches with deep warm cloud layers and very slow mean flow under 15 kts. This...
Flood — Sep 29, 2019
After a moderate to heavy rainfall event providing 2 to 3 inches just prior to this, the pump was primed so to speak for flooding potential. A generally stationary front resided south of the area into Missouri, but upper level and mid level flow strongly suggested storms would track north of the surface boundary and across portions of southern and central Iowa. The initial wave of rain was init...
Flood — May 29, 2019
Heavy rain led to additional river flooding toward the end of May 2019. Some of the flooding on the Des Moines River at Eddyville was due to planned dam releases from Lake Red Rock combined with heavy rainfall.
Flood — Oct 9, 2018
Tornadoes made an October appearance along with other strong storms and heavy rainfall as a number of conditions came together. A frontal boundary stalled out across Iowa, situated from southwest to northeast, roughly cutting the state in half. Dew points were on the high side given the time of the year, in the upper 60s to low 70s, yielding low lifted condensation levels. In addition, low leve...
Flood — Oct 9, 2018
Heavy rain continued into mid October with many rivers going into flood again across much of the forecast area. Flooding was observed in the Des Moines, Iowa, Cedar, Chariton, Thompson and Raccoon River basins.
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 Decatur 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 Decatur 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.