36 flood insurance claims·$267,014 paid·9 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 Iowa 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 slightly edges out broader river flooding in Iowa County, driven by 37 recorded flash flood events compared to 32 general flood events over the last 30 years according to NOAA data.
Severe weather events have regularly produced localized inundation across the area. For example, heavy rainfall on the morning of August 25, 2021, resulted in flash flooding when several inches of rain fell within a few hours. Torrential rainfall also accompanied Tropical Depression Cristobal on June 9, 2020, bringing localized amounts of 4 to 5 inches near Belle Plaine.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that property owners in Zone A face the most frequent and severe risks, accounting for 25 claims with an average payout of $11,526 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. By comparison, Zone X properties experienced 6 claims averaging $9,305 with an average water depth of 4 inches, while unknown zones recorded 5 claims averaging $929 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners located in designated Zone A areas should pay the closest attention to flood risk and mitigation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Iowa County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
25 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 7 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 2014, with 12 claims and $164,739 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding.
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.
25 NOAA storm reports from Iowa County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Storms | Aug 10, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 26, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 19, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
69 since 1996: 37 flash floods and 32 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 25, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Jun 9, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Sep 5, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 20, 2025. A decaying mesoscale convective system moved into eastern Iowa during the morning hours of July 20th. These showers and storms produced heavy rain with trained spotters reporting 1 to 3 inches of rain. This lead to flash flooding in parts of Washington, Louisa, and Muscatine Counties.
Flash Flood · Aug 25, 2021. Heavy rain fell the morning of August 25th, resulting in some flash flooding in Iowa County. Several inches of rain fell in a few hours.
Flood · Jun 9, 2020. Tropical Depression Cristobal tracked across much of the mid and upper Mississippi River Valley on the morning and afternoon of June 9, 2020. Very high levels of moisture were present, bringing very heavy rainfall to much of the region, especially eastern Iowa. Rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches fell roughly west of a line from Keosauqua IA, to Burlington IA, to Guttenberg IA. Localized amounts of 4-5 inches were repo…
Flash Flood · May 29, 2019. An upper level low moved over Iowa, sparking some showers and thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening. Some of the storms spawned some funnel clouds and weak tornadoes. The storm complex then expanded and produced heavy rain. These heavy rains fell on completely saturated soils, and produced a round of significant flash flooding, which closed many roads.
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 Iowa 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.