39 flood insurance claims·$167,106 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa County, Kansas. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 28 flash flood events alongside 19 general flood events.
Heavy rainfall events illustrate this hazard, such as the flood on September 8, 2025, when 5 to 9 inches of rain fell across southwest Ottawa County. This slow-moving storm caused notable flooding in and around Tescott, resulting in nearly $5 million in total damages, which included $3.5 million in the city of Tescott, $1.2 million in the rest of the county, and $90,000 in damage to public school district buildings.
Federal insurance data reflects historical claims tied to these hazards. Specifically, Zone A properties recorded 34 National Flood Insurance Program claims, with an average payout of $7,957 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. An additional 5 claims were logged in Zone UNKNOWN, averaging a $0 payout and 0 inches of recorded water depth. Properties located within Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood risk and mitigation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Ottawa County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
34 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1993, with 23 claims and $101,905 paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
10 NOAA storm reports from Ottawa County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Kansas flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jul 17, 2025 |
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 19, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 8, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides | Apr 28, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Oct 4, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 22, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 19, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
47 since 1996: 28 flash floods and 19 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 8, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Sep 8, 2025 | $1.2M |
| Flood | Sep 8, 2025 | $3.6M |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Sep 8, 2025. A small area of heavy rain developed across central Kansas during the morning of September 8 and moved little into the early afternoon. Portions of southwest Ottawa County saw five to nine inches of rain, resulting in notable flooding in and around Tescott. County officials estimated almost 5 million dollars in damage total - 3.5 million dollars in the city of Tescott itself, 1.2 million dollars in the rest of the…
Flash Flood · May 16, 2021. Multiple rounds of rain produced flooding in parts of eastern Kansas on 5/16.
Flash Flood · Jun 27, 2020. Thunderstorms initially impacting north-central KS the night of 6/26 into 6/27 with hail, damaging wind and heavy rain that led to flooding. The complex eventually expanded in coverage, causing severe weather elsewhere across northeast KS by early 6/27.
Flash Flood · May 24, 2020. A very slow moving complex of storms developed in parts of central KS and produced flooding and flash flooding in Ottawa, Geary and Dickinson Counties during the late evening and overnight hours of 5/24 into 5/25.
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 Ottawa 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.