2 flood insurance claims·$0 paid·1 federal flood & hurricane disasters
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 Meade 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 history of Meade County. According to NOAA Storm Events data from the last 30 years, the county recorded 14 flash flood events compared to only 2 general flood events. Recent incidents include a flash flood on May 27, 2015, driven by thunderstorms developing in a very unstable atmosphere aided by a short wave trough and residual outflow boundaries. Another flash flood occurred on May 23, 2019, caused by thunderstorms forming along a stalled and stationary front during the late afternoon and evening.
Federal records indicate minimal historical National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim activity in the area. Specifically, FEMA data lists one claim in Zone X and one claim in Zone UNKNOWN, both of which recorded an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Given this distribution, homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents monitoring properties in unmapped or moderate-to-low risk zones should pay the closest attention to localized storm runoff and intense convective rainfall patterns that trigger sudden flash flooding across the region.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
15 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Straight-line Winds | Mar 17, 2022 |
| Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides | Apr 28, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 13, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 22, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | Mar 26, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 23, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 5, 2019 | $1.0M |
| Flood | May 27, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 2004 | — |
| Flood | Aug 19, 2004 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 23, 2019. A stalled and stationary front was the focus for thunderstorm developed during the late afternoon and evening.
Flash Flood · May 5, 2019. A warm front moved north back into Kansas initiating thunderstorms, some severe.
Flood · May 27, 2015. Thunderstorms developed in a very unstable atmosphere aided by a short wave trough and residual outflow boundaries.
Flash Flood · May 27, 2015. Thunderstorms developed in a very unstable atmosphere aided by a short wave trough and residual outflow boundaries.
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 Meade 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.