3 flood insurance claims·$31,712 paid·8 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 Keokuk 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.
Riverine flooding and flash floods from heavy rainfall dominate the flood history of Keokuk County, Iowa, with 24 general flood events and 15 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years.
Severe storms and saturated soils have repeatedly triggered widespread high water across the region. For example, a heavy rain event on October 6, 2018, dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain on saturated soils, causing flash flooding through Keokuk County. Months earlier, a prolonged wet fall and successive storms brought minor to moderate river flooding across eastern Iowa through mid-October 2018. Additionally, spring flooding occurred from March 9 to 12, 2019, driven by snowmelt, frozen ground, ice jams, and rainfall that led to moderate to major flooding on regional tributary rivers.
Federal flood insurance data for Zone A shows 3 historical claims with an average payout of $10,571 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Properties located within Zone A and near regional rivers and waterways should pay the closest attention to flood risks in this county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 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 2001, with 1 claims and $14,994 paid.
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.
13 NOAA storm reports from Keokuk County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 10, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 23, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
39 since 1996: 15 flash floods and 24 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 2, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Oct 12, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 6, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Dec 16, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2014 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 2, 2024. A line of organized storms surged into eastern Iowa late in the day and produced severe winds and heavy rainfall. The strongest storms occurred in a swath just south of Interstate 80, including near Iowa City, producing thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 to 80 MPH. There were rainfall amounts of 2 to 3.50 inches.
Flood · Mar 15, 2019. Significant flooding occurred across eastern Iowa during the Spring 2019. Moderate to major flooding was observed on most Iowa tributary rivers due to snowmelt, frozen ground, ice jams, saturated soils, and rainfall from March 9th to 12th.The higher crests occurred on the Skunk, English, Cedar, Wapsipinicon, and Maquoketa Rivers in Iowa. Most of these rivers crested during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of March.
Flood · Oct 12, 2018. A prolonged and exceptionally wet fall combined with successive flash flood events in eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois to bring widespread minor to moderate river flooding to nearly all rivers in this area. In addition, major flooding occurred on rivers, including the Mississippi, Iowa, Wapsipinicon, English, North Skunk, Maquoketa, and Rock Rivers. This major flood event stretched through much of mid October.
Flash Flood · Oct 6, 2018. Thunderstorms with heavy rain moved over the same areas through the early morning hours in eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. A band of 2 to 4 inches of rain fell on already saturated soils, causing a stripe of flash flooding from Keokuk County through Clinton County, and Stephenson County in northwest Illinois.
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 Keokuk 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.