8 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 Ringgold 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Ringgold County, Iowa, supported by NOAA records showing 20 flash flood events compared to 11 general flood events over the last 30 years.
Heavy rainfall events frequently produce localized flooding when stationary or slow-moving frontal boundaries and saturated soil conditions coincide. For example, a stalled cold front produced rainfall totals exceeding 2 to 5 inches in September 2015, while training storms and nocturnal weather systems dropped over 4 inches of rain—with isolated reports reaching 7 inches—in August 2016. Additional heavy rainfall and flash flooding occurred in August 2016 and September 2018 as a result of similar weather patterns.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located near small streams, low-lying areas, and locations prone to rapid surface water accumulation during intense convective storms.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
26 NOAA storm reports from Ringgold County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Iowa flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 3, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 10, 2007 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 5, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
31 since 1996: 20 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2018 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2016 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2016 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 7, 2015 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Sep 10, 2014 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 9, 2014 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2014 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2014 | $15,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 heavy rainfall, includi…
Flash Flood · Aug 28, 2016. A weak frontal boundary draped itself across the state the previous day and into the 28th, oscillating roughly between northern and southern Iowa. During the morning and early afternoon of the 28th the boundary had made its way into southern Iowa, allowing storms to initiate and train in the area. Given the thermodynamic and wind profiles, a little bit of everything was able to occur. Ranging from flash flooding…
Flash Flood · Aug 1, 2016. A line of nocturnal storms blossomed across western and southwest Iowa, remaining relatively stationary for a couple hours before slowly moving eastward through the morning hours. Some redevelopment occurred to the north, before sliding southward and weakening into the afternoon. In all, heavy rain was the primary result with locations in excess of 4 inches and even a 7 inch report in far southern Iowa. A pair of…
Flash Flood · Sep 7, 2015. A slow moving cold front entered the state and produced heavy rainfall across a large portion of central Iowa. The front eventually stalled, and transitioned to a northward moving warm front the next day. Rainfall totals were generally in excess of 2 inches, with the largest reports in excess of 5 inches, resulting in some localized flash flooding. In addition to the heavy rainfall, a lone severe hail report ca…
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 Ringgold 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.