Enter any address in Winneshiek County, Iowa to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding and river flooding events have both occurred frequently in Winneshiek County over the past 30 years. Recent examples include widespread road flooding in August 2025 due to saturated soils and repeated rainfall, and river flooding in June 2024 along the Upper Iowa and Turkey Rivers, among others, following heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties designated as Zone A have experienced the majority of claims, with an average payout of $12,610 and an average water depth of 2.6 feet. While Zone X properties have also filed claims, the average water depth was recorded at 0.0 feet. Properties located in Zone A, or those near rivers and streams, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
41 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Winneshiek County, Iowa has recorded 65 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 32 flash floods and 33 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations, 9 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, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 16, 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 6, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 19, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Sep 21, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Aug 23, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 20, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 14, 2014 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 18, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2025 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 23, 2024 | 108.00K |
| Flood | May 15, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 9, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 29, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 19, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flood — Aug 18, 2025
Heavy rain throughout the middle of August contributed to rises along many area rivers in northeast Iowa. This included minor to moderate flooding along portions of the Little Cedar and Cedar Rivers, as well as the Upper Iowa and Turkey Rivers.
Flash Flood — Aug 18, 2025
Repeated rounds of rain led to increased saturation in soils during the month of August. As a result, when additional training storms moved over northeast Iowa during the morning hours on August 18th, numerous roads were flooded in Chickasaw and Winneshiek counties.
Flood — Jun 23, 2024
Above normal rainfall over the course of June, combined with a robust rainfall event between June 20th and 22nd, led to widespread river flooding across portions of northeast Iowa. Rainfall amounts upwards of 5 inches between the 20th and 22nd allowed the Mississippi River, Cedar River and many other river basins in northeast Iowa to enter flood stage towards the end of June. Flooding along the...
Flood — May 15, 2023
Four consecutive days of light to heavy rainfall events during the middle of May resulted in near 1.5 inches and some minor flooding along the more narrow, shallow rivers in northeast Iowa. Initial light to moderate rainfall on May 12th quenched soils from a drier than normal spring, while subsequent storms over the weekend of May 13th-14th resulted in rapid runoff and minor flooding along the ...
Flood — Aug 28, 2021
A complex of storms moved across northeast Iowa during the late afternoon and evening of August 27th. These storms produced two tornadoes in the vicinity of Marble Rock (Floyd County). The first tornado was an EF0 west of Marble Rock that only caused some minor crop and structural damage to a farm. The second tornado was rated as an EF1 that passed just to the south of Marble Rock as it moved s...
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 Winneshiek 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 Winneshiek 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.