252 flood insurance claims·$2.1M paid·10 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 Dubuque 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Dubuque County, IA, accounting for 68 events compared to 22 general flood events over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Recent history illustrates this pattern. On July 10, 2025, thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall amounts of 2 to 4.50 inches across the area, leading to flash flooding in Dubuque near the Mississippi River. Later that summer, on August 10, 2025, multiple rounds of thunderstorms tracked across the area and brought very heavy rain, with rainfall rates over 2 inches per hour on top of saturated ground causing flash flooding with water over roadways and creeks overflowing.
NFIP claim records indicate that homeowners and real estate agents should pay the most attention to properties located in Zone A, which accounts for the vast majority of historical claims (204 claims with an average payout of $10,077 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches). Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED also warrant careful attention, as 10 claims recorded a higher average water depth of 20 inches and an average payout of $33,814.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5% of Dubuque County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
215 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 9 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 1999, with 55 claims and $255,620 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes.
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.
33 NOAA storm reports from Dubuque County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Flooding | Apr 24, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jul 19, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 27, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 19, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
90 since 1996: 68 flash floods and 22 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 4, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 11, 2025. On July 11th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Iowa and produced damaging straight-line winds, tornadoes and heavy rain. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches fell in a few hours across the Quad Cities, on top of heavy rain from the previous night and caused major flash flooding in Davenport. A Considerable Flash Flood warning was issued at 5:26 PM followed by a Flash Flood Emergency at 6:16 PM.
Flash Flood · Jul 10, 2025. During the evening of July 10th, a line of thunderstorms developed and moved across eastern Iowa. These storms produced isolated large hail and damaging wind gusts in Johnson and Clinton Counties. Based on a video, an EF-U tornado occurred in Jackson county. These storms also produced heavy rain, mainly along and north of interstate 80. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4.50 inches were reported across the area. This ra…
Flash Flood · Aug 10, 2025. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms tracked across the area early Sunday August 10th, bringing very heavy rain, frequent lightning, and some localized gusty winds. Rainfall rates over 2/hr on top of saturated ground caused flash flooding with water over roadways and creeks overflowing. Late afternoon and evening storms brought more heavy rain and three brief tornadoes in Lee county in Iowa and Clark county in Missour…
Flash Flood · Jul 3, 2025. On July 3rd, thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and into the evening. Some of these storms became severe and produced large hail and damaging winds in Delaware, Dubuque, and Jones Counties. These storms also produced heavy rainfall that led to flash flooding along a creek in a golf course south of Peosta, Iowa.
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 Dubuque 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.