Enter any address in Elk County, Kansas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Elk County. Between 2020 and 2024, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 24 flash flood events and 13 flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on April 27, 2024, associated with severe thunderstorms that produced tornadoes, and widespread flooding and flash flooding on May 15, 2020, which also brought hail and wind.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced flooding, with one claim averaging a $25,000 payout and an average water depth of 0.0 feet. Residents in areas designated as Zone A, particularly those near waterways or in low-lying areas, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
7 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Elk County, Kansas has recorded 37 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods and 13 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1976–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires | Severe Storm | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 25, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Tornadoes And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides | Severe Storm | Apr 28, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 22, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 7, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2009 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 16, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 6, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 16, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 28, 2014 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 27, 2024
On Saturday April 27th, there was volatile severe weather across Kansas and Oklahoma. An abundance of moisture and increasing shear through the day resulted in numerous rotating storms which produced several tornadoes across the Flint Hills into southeast Kansas. The strongest tornado was an EF-2 which occurred in Cowley County which did damage to a few outbuildings. Luckily there were no injur...
Flood — May 16, 2024
A cluster of supercells developed across portions of Harper and Cowley counties during the afternoon of May 15th and quickly began producing large hail and damaging winds. This cluster of storms expanded north and eastward continuing to produce quarter to two inch sized hail across south central and southeast Kansas. Meanwhile, a second cluster of storms developed across northwest Oklahoma and ...
Flood — May 6, 2024
A dryline and Pacific cold front moved into the region on Monday May 6th, and with abundant moisture and instability already in place, storms erupted by the early afternoon hours across west-central Kansas. As storms tracked across central Kansas they produced hail up to slightly larger than baseballs! Storms became more numerous over southeast Kansas after sunset with wind and heavy rain becom...
Flash Flood — May 15, 2020
Severe storms dropped lots of hail, produced sporadic wind damage, and also caused widespread flooding and areas of flash flooding on May 15th, 2020. Hail sized remained below 1.5 inches and the winds were between 60 and 70 mph. Unfortunately, a tree was blown across a roadway and an individual did not see the tree and crashed into it and lost his life.
Flash Flood — May 21, 2019
An intense upper level system surged northeast across Kansas that brought an equally intense surface cyclone across the state in the afternoon. There was a moisture-rich environment entrenched across Kansas. This combined with the powerful cyclone crossing the state, numerous thunderstorms, several of which were severe, produced torrential rains that caused major flooding and flash flooding fr...
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 Elk County, Kansas:
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 Elk County, Kansas 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.