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 Cheyenne County, Kansas. 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 risk profile in Cheyenne County. According to NOAA Storm Events data from the last 30 years, the county recorded 37 flash flood events compared to only 3 general flood events.
Recent storms illustrate this hazard. On August 10, 2025, evening thunderstorms produced quarter-sized hail, 58 mph winds, and flooding across the county. Earlier, on August 7, 2023, a frontal boundary brought heavy rainfall that caused flash flooding—with flooding in at least one location continuing overnight until sunrise—alongside severe weather that produced large hail up to softball size and wind gusts up to an estimated 70 mph.
Property owners and real estate professionals should assess local topography and drainage patterns, paying close attention to properties situated in low-lying areas and locations susceptible to rapid runoff during intense convective storms.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
23 NOAA storm reports from Cheyenne County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Kansas flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 2005.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 18, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 2, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 7, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 6, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 28, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
40 since 1996: 37 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Aug 7, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Aug 16, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Jul 24, 2020 | $100 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2020 | $100 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 10, 2025. Thunderstorms across northwest Kansas had it its eye on Cheyenne county during the evening of the 10th leading to quarter size hail, 58 mph winds and flooding.
Flash Flood · May 11, 2023. A high impact storm system moved across Northwest Kansas. The storm system produced an environment that was favorable for any of the developing thunderstorms to produce a tornado, which led to multiple tornadoes occurring on this day. The strongest tornado was rated an EF-1 which caused damage to the high school in Weskan. ||Otherwise thunderstorms produced hail up to half dollar in size near Wallace, and wind g…
Flash Flood · Jul 8, 2023. In the middle afternoon, storms began forming in northeastern Colorado. As the day progresses, a line of storm cells formed with one cell producing multiple wind gusts around 100 MPH based on the tree damage left behind. These storms also produced hail up to quarter in size. Flash flooding occurred in St. Francis due to the accumulating hail and heavy rainfall causing Highway 36 to become impassable for a short…
Flood · Aug 7, 2023. During the late afternoon and evening hours of August 7th, a frontal boundary moved across Northwestern Kansas allowing for showers and thunderstorms to develop within the region. Some of these thunderstorms became severe and produced large hail up to softballs in size, a brief landspout, damaging wind gusts up to an estimated 70 mph, and heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding. Winds from the storms also caused…
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 Cheyenne 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.