2 flood insurance claims·$21,352 paid·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 Osceola 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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Osceola County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 6, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 14, 2014 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 9, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Snow | Feb 28, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
12 since 1996: 4 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | $2.1M |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $2.6M |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 16, 2014 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2010 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 21, 2024. More isolated afternoon and early evening storms erupted just north of a frontal boundary across northeast Nebraska and western Iowa, which produced up to quarter size hail and damaging wind gusts of 60 to 75 mph. Storms became more widespread during the evening given a mid-level impulse and increase in the low-level jet across the frontal boundary. The rain regenerated in many of the same areas as the previous ni…
Flood · Jun 20, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches across portions of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating several towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in significant impacts and damages. All rive…
Flood · Mar 13, 2019. Rainfall of one to three inches on frozen ground and into a snow pack with between 1 and 3 inches of liquid water equivalent resulted in considerable areal flooding and flooding of small streams. Numerous roads, bridges and homes were compromised by flood water, especially in areas near Hornick, Danbury, Holly Springs, and Moville.
Flood · Jun 1, 2019. During crop planting season, prolonged flooding led to the loss of or inability to plant crops across the area. Crop loss estimates provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
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 Osceola 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.