2 flood insurance claims·$0 paid·2 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 Ness 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 for Ness County, Kansas, accounting for 10 out of the 16 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 6 general flood events.
Local weather patterns driven by boundary layer heating, warm fronts, and stationary front boundaries frequently trigger these intense precipitation events. For example, a flash flood occurred on July 12, 2020, driven by boundary layer heating and an upper-level trough, while another severe flash flood developed on August 25, 2014, along a nearly stationary front.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located within FEMA Zone A, which accounts for the county's National Flood Insurance Program claims history, specifically recording two claims with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
19 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires | Mar 14, 2025 |
| 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 |
| Ness County Fire | Mar 4, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 13, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 22, 2013 |
| Snowstorm | Feb 20, 2013 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Apr 17, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 25, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2013 | — |
| Flood | May 16, 2004 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2004 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 12, 2020. Substantial boundary layer heating in the presence of an upper level short wave trough was enough to overcome somewhat warm air aloft. Thunderstorms became marginally severe at a few locations.
Flood · Apr 17, 2016. Rainfall during a 24 to 36 hour period resulted in eventual flooding.
Flash Flood · Jun 27, 2014. Thunderstorms became severe and spread across the area during the night.
Flash Flood · Aug 25, 2014. A nearly stationary front was the focus for thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening with one severe storm reported.
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 Ness 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.