Enter any address in Hancock County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flood events, including flash flooding, are a notable hazard in Hancock County, Iowa. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 37 flood events and 5 flash flood events. Recent examples include heavy rainfall events in May 2024 that caused flash flooding across portions of northern and central Iowa. In March 2019, significant snowpack and frozen soils contributed to flooding conditions.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that some flood damage has occurred in zones designated as unknown. These claims averaged $2,660 in payouts with an average water depth of 0.3 feet. Residents in areas with unknown flood risk designations, as well as those located near waterways or in low-lying areas, should pay particular attention to flood risk information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
36 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Hancock County, Iowa has recorded 42 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 5 flash floods and 37 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1991–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 20, 2024 |
| 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 6, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 14, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 25, 2008 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Feb 28, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Sep 20, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2017 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2014 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 26, 2005 | 74.07K |
| Flood | May 13, 2005 | 30K |
| Flood | May 22, 2004 | .1M |
Flood — May 21, 2024
PLEASE NOTE, for tornadoes, please see separate Storm Data entry for May 21st. ||Multiple rounds of thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall, damaging winds, hail and destructive tornadoes to the state. These thunderstorms were the result of a low pressure system which lifted north into the area on the night of May 20th, 2024, producing slow moving storms that dropped 2 to 4 inches of rainfall...
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...
Flood — Mar 14, 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...
Flood — Sep 20, 2018
More heavy rainfall was seen across the area, primarily situated over the northern third of the state, as a surface boundary sat across central Iowa and a shortwave moved through the upper level flow. Overall, conditions remained ripe and very much summer-like as opposed to mid-September including precipitable water values were around and in excess of 1.7 inches, moderate to strong low level mo...
Flash Flood — May 15, 2017
During the day on the 15th, much of Iowa found itself firmly in the warm sector with a warm front/stationary front eventually settling across northern Iowa. Temperatures reached the upper 80s along with dew points in the mid to upper 60s, helping fuel MUCAPE values in excess of 2000 J/kg. Effective bulk shear was generally marginally supportive to supportive in the 25-45 kt range. Isolated s...
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 Hancock 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 Hancock 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.