3 flood insurance claims·$6,833 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 Page 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.
River flooding and thunderstorms dominate the flood risk profile in Page County, IA, accounting for 18 flood events and 5 flash flood events over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Severe storms have repeatedly impacted the area, such as a slow-moving storm system in December 2015 that brought heavy rainfall and set daily records. Additionally, slow-moving thunderstorms produced 2 to 4 inches of rain during the evening of July 15, 2015, followed by overnight totals exceeding 5 inches that led to urban flash flooding across parts of the county. Another heavy rain event driven by a stalled frontal boundary occurred on July 18, 2016.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims have been filed in both high-risk and moderate-to-low-risk areas. Zone A recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $1,151 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $5,682 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay particular attention to properties located within designated Zone A areas as well as those vulnerable to urban flash flooding from intense summer rainfall.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
The worst year was 2008, with 1 claims and $5,682 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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.
12 NOAA storm reports from Page County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 23, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 10, 2007 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 5, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 19, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Jun 13, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
23 since 1996: 5 flash floods and 18 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 18, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2015 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2015 | $15,000 |
| Flood | Dec 14, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Aug 28, 2014 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Sep 10, 2014 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Jun 3, 2014 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Apr 15, 2012 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jul 18, 2016. Thunderstorms develop late in the evening of July 17 in response to the nocturnal strengthening of the low-level jet over a stalled frontal boundary over southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Although the majority of these thunderstorms were strong, only isolated reports of severe weather were observed mainly in the form of strong winds. In addition to the severe weather, the orientation of the thunderstorms from…
Flash Flood · Jul 16, 2015. A slow moving thunderstorms moving across Page County produced 2 to 4 inches of rainfall during the evening of July 15th. Additional thunderstorms occurred during the overnight hours with storm total precipitation measured at over 5 inches in parts of the county. This led to mainly urban flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 15, 2015. A slow moving thunderstorms moving across Page County produced 2 to 4 inches of rainfall during the evening of July 15th. Additional thunderstorms occurred during the overnight hours with storm total precipitation measured at over 5 inches in parts of the county. This led to mainly urban flash flooding.
Flood · Dec 14, 2015. A powerful and slow moving storm system spread heavy rainfall from the southern Plains into the central Plains over a two day period from 13th through the 14th of December. The closed upper level low pressure moved from the southern Plains on the 13th through the central Plains on the 14th and along and to the northwest of this track very heavy rainfall was observed. Rainfall records were set across the area with…
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 Page 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.