Enter any address in Pottawattamie County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms and river overflow are the dominant flood types in Pottawattamie County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 29 flood events and 19 flash flood events recorded in the county. Recent examples include flash flooding reported on April 14, 2023, following a cold front, and ongoing river flooding along the Missouri River in early July 2024, which led to road closures.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $14,971 and an average water depth of 3.6 feet. Properties in Zone X also show a significant number of claims, with an average payout of $15,517, though with a lower average water depth of 2.5 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, particularly those located near rivers or in areas prone to flash flooding, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
24 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa has recorded 48 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 19 flash floods and 29 river or area floods. The county has received 26 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Tornado | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 3, 2014 |
| Flooding | Flood | May 25, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 19, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2009 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 24, 2024 | 550.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2024 | 75.00K |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 14, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 31, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 29, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 12, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 20, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jun 24, 2024
A series of shortwave troughs traversing the northern CONUS brought unsettled weather to the area for the end of June. On the 21st, a stationary front was draped across northeast Nebraska into Iowa. Ahead of one of the aforementioned shortwave troughs, several rounds of strong thunderstorms developed near this frontal zone and moved across northeast Nebraska. At 8 pm on the 21st, radar imagery ...
Flash Flood — May 21, 2024
Troughing over the western CONUS brought southwesterly flow aloft over the central and northern Plains for the duration of this event. In the couple of days leading up to May 21st, the upper-level flow pattern amplified as a trough deepened over the northern Rockies. This trough then ejected out into the central Plains on the 21st. At the surface, a stationary front developed and stretched acro...
Flood — Jul 1, 2024
At the beginning of July, river flooding was still ongoing along portions of the Missouri River extending from east-central Nebraska/southwest Iowa to the southern Nebraska border. Most of the length of the river crested at the end of June, so the greatest impacts are addressed in June StormData. However, sections of I-29 and the I-29/I680 junction remained closed through the first week of July...
Flash Flood — Apr 14, 2023
A cold front moved across western Iowa which had observed unseasonably warm temperatures in the past couple of days. The front set off a line of storms that produced strong wind gusts and smaller hail. The strongest measured wind gust was 68 mph in Page County. A flash flood was also reported in Pottawattamie County.
Flash Flood — Aug 7, 2021
A midlevel shortwave moved through the area producing storms with severe criteria hail and wind gusts. In Council Bluffs, 2 to 3 inches of rain fell over about an hour which led to a flash flood warning being issued. Flash flooding washed through basement apartments, swept up cars, and heaved pavement in low-lying areas.
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 Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie 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.