Enter any address in Hardin County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the primary flood concern in Hardin County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 38 flood events and 21 flash flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding in May 2024, following multiple rounds of thunderstorms that dropped 2 to 4 inches of rainfall across portions of central Iowa. Another flash flood event occurred in June 2019, stemming from severe storms that developed in humid conditions.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced flood claims, with an average payout of $14,045 and an average water depth of 1.5 feet. While Zone X has seen fewer claims with no reported payouts or water depth, residents in Zone A, or those located near waterways and in low-lying areas, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
53 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Hardin County, Iowa has recorded 59 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 21 flash floods and 38 river or area floods. The county has received 18 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Aug 10, 2020 |
| 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 26, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 19, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 25, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Feb 23, 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 | May 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 17, 2019 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2019 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Dec 14, 2015 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2014 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2014 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2013 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2013 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2013 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2013 | 250.00K |
Flash 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...
Flash Flood — Mar 17, 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...
Flash Flood — Jun 15, 2019
Increasingly humid conditions, a weak low pressure system, and an impinging northern weak cold front combined to create an environment ripe for strong to severe storms across northern and central Iowa, with much of the severe activity through central Iowa. ||The resulting environment from the aforementioned ingredients included SBCAPE values in the 2000-3000+ J/kg range, marginal effective bulk...
Flood — Dec 14, 2015
Heavy rain that fell across the state in mid-December led to river flooding at many locations across central and southern Iowa. The ground was already saturated from a wet fall, with new rainfall of one to 3 inches fell across the area in a two-day span. The heavy rainfall also allowed for many area streams and creeks to reach bankfull or go into flood. County roads across several counties were...
Flash Flood — Jun 29, 2014
A powerful upper level system was moving into south central Canada. The upper level winds were increasing as a closed upper low settled into that area. Warm air advection continued across Iowa through the night of the 29th into the morning of the 30th. The atmosphere was very unstable with CAPE values around 4000 J/kg. Downdraft CAPE was between 1000 and 1500 J/kg, with CAPE in the -10 to -...
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 Hardin 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 Hardin 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.