6 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 Jefferson 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 history of Jefferson County, Iowa, accounting for 14 events compared to 9 standard flood events over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Specific historical events illustrate these risks. On June 24, 2021, a line of strong thunderstorms produced near-record moisture levels and efficient rain rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, causing significant flash flooding with the largest impacts occurring in Jefferson and Van Buren Counties. Earlier, on May 14, 2020, slow-moving showers and thunderstorms tracked across central and eastern Iowa, bringing heavy rain and severe weather to the regional area.
Homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents should monitor these localized flood risks closely, particularly during heavy convective rainfall events when rapid flash flooding can occur across the area.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
9 NOAA storm reports from Jefferson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 20, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 10, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 23, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Jun 13, 1998 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Apr 13, 1993 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | May 23, 1973 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
23 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 9 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 19, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2010 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Aug 13, 2010 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2009 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2008 | $50,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 24, 2021. A line of strong thunderstorms and heavy rain moved through Iowa on the 24th, which led to flash flooding for some areas. The areas seeing the largest impact were in Jefferson and Van Buren Counties in Iowa. The environment in which these storms were in not only favored thunderstorms, but heavy rain, as moisture indices were near record level. Very efficient rain rates were seen, where 2 to 3 inches per hour were…
Flash Flood · May 14, 2020. Showers and thunderstorms tracked across central Iowa into eastern Iowa, northeast Missouri, and northwest Illinois late Friday afternoon and into the overnight hours. These storms brought heavy rain, frequent lightning, damaging winds, and large hail to the region. The hardest hit areas were Keokuk county in Iowa, towards Henry county in Iowa, where 50-70 mph winds occurred. A weak EF-1 tornado occurred near At…
Flash Flood · May 28, 2019. A frontal boundary settled across northern Kansas, northern Missouri and central Illinois. This front was the focus area for the development of several rounds of showers and thunderstorms that impacted the region. The first round came through during the morning, and produced mainly torrential rainfall, small hail, brief wind gusts and frequent lightning. |The second round of showers and thunderstorms developed and…
Flood · May 19, 2019. Extensive flooding occurred late May and into June across eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois, and northeast Missouri. The last half of May was very wet with 5-8 inches of rain falling over the region. This combined with saturated soils, brought many rivers above Moderate to Major flood levels. Many climate sites only saw 3 days of no precipitation from May 16th to May 31st. |The Wapsipinicon, Iowa, Skunk, Des Moines…
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 Jefferson 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.