Enter any address in Poweshiek County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the primary flood hazard in Poweshiek County. Between 2004 and 2024, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 25 flood events and 11 flash flood events in the county. Recent examples include heavy rainfall from thunderstorms causing flash flooding on May 21, 2024, and a flood event on September 2, 2018, associated with a stationary weather boundary.
Homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents should pay particular attention to flood risk in areas identified by FEMA. Residents with properties located near waterways or in zones without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) should be especially aware of potential flood impacts.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
29 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Poweshiek County, Iowa has recorded 36 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 11 flash floods and 25 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Aug 10, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| 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, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 25, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Feb 23, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2004 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 9, 2018 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Sep 5, 2018 | 150.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2018 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Sep 2, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2018 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2013 | 25.00K |
| Flood | May 26, 2013 | 250.00K |
Flood — May 21, 2024
PLEASE NOTE, for tornadoes, please see separate Storm Data entry for May 21st. ||Multiple rounds of thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall, damaging winds, hail and destructive tornadoes to the state. These thunderstorms were the result of a low pressure system which lifted north into the area on the night of May 20th, 2024, producing slow moving storms that dropped 2 to 4 inches of rainfall...
Flood — Oct 9, 2018
Tornadoes made an October appearance along with other strong storms and heavy rainfall as a number of conditions came together. A frontal boundary stalled out across Iowa, situated from southwest to northeast, roughly cutting the state in half. Dew points were on the high side given the time of the year, in the upper 60s to low 70s, yielding low lifted condensation levels. In addition, low leve...
Flood — Sep 5, 2018
Wet conditions continued across the state with yet another round of moderate to heavy rainfall on top of already mostly saturated conditions. A shortwave moving through the upper level flow out of the southwest, a surface front situated to the west and northwest of the state, and strong 850 mb flow were the main contributors to showers and storms. ||Conditions were certainly conducive for hea...
Flash Flood — Sep 5, 2018
Wet conditions continued across the state with yet another round of moderate to heavy rainfall on top of already mostly saturated conditions. A shortwave moving through the upper level flow out of the southwest, a surface front situated to the west and northwest of the state, and strong 850 mb flow were the main contributors to showers and storms. ||Conditions were certainly conducive for hea...
Flood — Sep 2, 2018
A weak, relatively stationary, boundary found itself across portions of western and central Iowa during the evening and overnight hours of the 1st into the 2nd. While surface observations were not tremendous, especially for early September, in the upper 70s to mid 80s, SBCAPE values approached 4000+ J/kg in areas of southwest and south-central Iowa concurrent with dew points into the upper 70s...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Poweshiek 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 Poweshiek 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.