Enter any address in Gove County, Kansas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Gove County. Between 2000 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 30 flash flood events and 11 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding in Grinnell in June 2020, where a vehicle became stuck in water, and another flash flood event in September 2024, which occurred after storms repeatedly moved over the same location.
Homeowners in Gove County should be aware of their specific flood risk. Those residing in areas designated by FEMA as having a high risk of flooding, or those without a home built to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay the most attention to flood preparedness.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
11 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Gove County, Kansas has recorded 41 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 30 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 12 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (2005–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 18, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires | Severe Storm | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds | Severe Storm | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Snowstorm | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 22, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Dec 6, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Dec 28, 2006 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2020 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 28, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2017 | 10.00K |
| Flood | May 11, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 10, 2017 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Sep 16, 2024
In the early afternoon of the 16th, scattered storms began to form near the west Kansas border. By the early evening, an organized line of storms began producing wind gusts up to 67 MPH. Over the following hours, a report of 1.5 inch hail was sent in and the storms began to repeatedly move over the same location, leading to flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Jun 21, 2020
Unorganized supercells formed along the dry line in Wallace/Logan counties and moved east into an increasingly unstable air mass. As the cells moved east, they merged into a line that extended from Greeley County to Sheridan County. The storms from this event produced a landspout tornado near Hoxie, KS, up to ping pong sized hail, and flash flooding in Grinnell, KS with a vehicle stuck in the w...
Flash Flood — Aug 20, 2019
Thunderstorms produce isolated hail up to golf ball size and flash flooding in northwest Kansas.
Flood — May 28, 2018
The largest severe weather outbreak of the year began in the morning. The storms activity spread west across Northwest Kansas, eventually expanding into Southwest Nebraska and East Central Colorado. The first tornado of the day for Northwest Kansas occurred near Hill City. No damage was reported from the tornado. The largest hail size reported was golf ball size from multiple locations area...
Flash Flood — May 28, 2018
The largest severe weather outbreak of the year began in the morning. The storms activity spread west across Northwest Kansas, eventually expanding into Southwest Nebraska and East Central Colorado. The first tornado of the day for Northwest Kansas occurred near Hill City. No damage was reported from the tornado. The largest hail size reported was golf ball size from multiple locations area...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Gove 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 Gove 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.