Enter any address in Lee County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates the flood character of Lee County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 54 flood events and 35 flash flood events. For example, on July 26th, 2025, widespread showers produced 2 to 4 inches of rain, leading to flash flooding in several locations.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $19,762 and an average water depth of 3.7 feet. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED have also seen significant claims, with an average payout of $71,803 and an average water depth of 2.1 feet, despite fewer total claims. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED, as well as those in areas with unknown flood zone designations, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
34 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lee County, Iowa has recorded 89 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 35 flash floods and 54 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 9 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding | Flood | Apr 24, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storm And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jul 19, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 20, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 26, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 1, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 29, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 28, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 24, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 26, 2025
Widespread showers and thunderstorms slowly moved across southeast Iowa on the morning of July 26th. These showers and storms produced widespread heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches. This produced flash flooding at several locations in Lee County.
Flash Flood — Jul 11, 2025
On July 11th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Iowa and produced damaging straight-line winds, tornadoes and heavy rain. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches fell in a few hours across the Quad Cities, on top of heavy rain from the previous night and caused major flash flooding in Davenport. A Considerable Flash Flood warning was issued at 5:26 PM followed by a Flash Flood Emerge...
Flash Flood — Jul 25, 2024
Slow moving thunderstorms developed during the morning hours on July 25th and produced heavy rainfall across Lee County, Iowa. There were reports of 3 to 4 inches of rain that led to flash flooding in Montrose.
Flash Flood — Aug 5, 2023
A significant rain event occurred late Friday into Saturday across extreme southeast Iowa. A slow moving mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) tracked over eastern Lee and Des Moines Counties and brought very heavy rain in a short amount of time. Rainfall amounts between 3 and 9 inches fell in less than 6 hours, which caused many stalled vehicles and several water rescues in Keokuk, Iowa. Other ...
Flood — Apr 30, 2019
The Mississippi River remained high through the month of April due to a combination of snow melt and several rounds of heavy rain. Rain in the second half of the month caused the Mississippi River to rise back above major flood stage on April 30th.
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 Lee 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 Lee 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.