Enter any address in Sac County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Sac County, Iowa. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database has recorded 33 flood events and 19 flash flood events in the county. Recent examples include flash flooding on June 21, 2019, following periods of moderate to heavy rainfall that overwhelmed saturated soils, and a flood event that occurred between March 13 and March 19, 2019, attributed to a deep snowpack and frozen ground conditions.
While the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data for Sac County shows limited claims, with one claim in Zone A and one in an unknown zone, both with zero dollar payouts and no reported water depth, this does not negate the potential for future flooding. Residents in areas designated as Zone A, or those located near rivers and streams, should remain particularly attentive to flood watches and warnings issued by authorities.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
43 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Sac County, Iowa has recorded 52 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 19 flash floods and 33 river or area floods. The county has received 19 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Dec 15, 2021 |
| 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 | Flood | Jun 14, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Apr 9, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 19, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 5, 2007 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2019 | 200.00K |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 14, 2015 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2010 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2010 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2010 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2008 | 25.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 21, 2019
Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall are not uncommon throughout the spring and summer months, but given the very wet spring across Iowa, soils were primed and unable to hold copious amounts of new rainfall. The overall setup for this event was somewhat typical with a shortwave moving through the parent flow, and 850 mb low level jet aiding in convective initiation and moisture transport, prec...
Flood — Mar 15, 2019
Reports from the 13h through the 19th in this entry. ||A relatively deep and widespread snowpack existed across the region during early to mid March. Many areas in central and northern Iowa had around a foot to two feet of snow on the ground, along with many areas in upstream river basins in Minnesota and the Dakotas having similar or deeper snowpacks on the ground. Additionally, with the below...
Flood — Mar 13, 2019
Reports from the 13h through the 19th in this entry. ||A relatively deep and widespread snowpack existed across the region during early to mid March. Many areas in central and northern Iowa had around a foot to two feet of snow on the ground, along with many areas in upstream river basins in Minnesota and the Dakotas having similar or deeper snowpacks on the ground. Additionally, with the below...
Flash Flood — Jun 18, 2018
A meandering boundary found itself draped across Iowa on the 18th and into the 19th of June, acting as a continued focusing mechanism for showers and thunderstorms. A weakly sheared environment took away form the potential for sustained severe weather, however with as much as 3000 to 4000 J/kg MUCAPE during the afternoon and early evening, opportunities for at least brief severe storms were po...
Flood — Dec 14, 2015
Heavy rain that fell across the state in mid-December led to river flooding at many locations across central and southern Iowa. The ground was already saturated from a wet fall, with new rainfall of one to 3 inches fell across the area in a two-day span. The heavy rainfall also allowed for many area streams and creeks to reach bankfull or go into flood. County roads across several counties were...
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 Sac 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 Sac 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.