Enter any address in Van Buren County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates flood risk in Van Buren County. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 23 flash flood events and 17 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on June 24, 2021, when heavy rain rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour impacted the area, and on July 11, 2021, when slow-moving storms produced 1 to 3 inches of rain, leading to flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A, which have experienced the most claims, averaged a payout of $7,107 with an average water depth of 3.3 feet. However, Zone X_SHADED properties, though fewer in number, have seen significantly higher average payouts of $33,850, with an average water depth of 1.5 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and those in Zone X_SHADED should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
16 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Van Buren County, Iowa has recorded 40 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 23 flash floods and 17 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 6 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 Storm And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jul 19, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 17, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 25, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Dec 10, 2007 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 17, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Feb 23, 2007 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 29, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 28, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 17, 2013 | 250.00K |
| Flood | Jun 27, 2011 | 0.00K |
Flood — May 27, 2021
Locally heavy rainfall led to flooding of fields and local roads in parts of Van Buren County overnight on the 27th. Van Buren and Lee Counties saw the worst of the rain, with accumulations around 2-3 inches, as two rounds of heavy rain moved through within 24 hours.
Flash Flood — Jun 24, 2021
A line of strong thunderstorms and heavy rain moved through Iowa on the 24th, which led to flash flooding for some areas. The areas seeing the largest impact were in Jefferson and Van Buren Counties in Iowa. The environment in which these storms were in not only favored thunderstorms, but heavy rain, as moisture indices were near record level. Very efficient rain rates were seen, where 2 to 3 i...
Flash Flood — Jul 11, 2021
A stalled storm system centered near Galesburg Illinois brought several rounds of showers and embedded thunderstorms to eastern Iowa through the day. These showers and thunderstorms were slow moving westward across the area and were efficient rainfall producers. Trained spotters reported 1 to 3 inches of rain in Van Buren County that led to flash flooding during the late morning and early afte...
Flash Flood — Jun 30, 2020
A shortwave lifting northeastward from Missouri and a slow moving mesoscale convective vorticity maximum interacted with a warm and humid air mass across eastern Iowa and brought showers and thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall. This led to flash flooding in Van Buren County.
Flood — May 29, 2019
An upper level low moved over Iowa, sparking some showers and thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening. Some of the storms spawned some funnel clouds and weak tornadoes. The storm complex then expanded and produced heavy rain. These heavy rains fell on completely saturated soils, and produced a round of significant flash flooding, which closed many roads.
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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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.