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 Woodson 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 Woodson County, Kansas, accounting for the vast majority of historical flood events over the last thirty years compared to general river floods.
Severe weather patterns have repeatedly brought heavy rainfall and localized flooding to the region. For instance, a weak boundary triggered strong thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall during the late night hours of July 12, 2023, causing localized flooding. Similarly, a prolonged period of severe thunderstorms brought flash flooding across Southeast Kansas on May 24, 2019, persisting into the following day.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists monitoring property risk in the area should pay the closest attention to properties situated near smaller creeks, low-lying areas, and locations prone to rapid runoff during intense summer storm systems.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6 NOAA storm reports from Woodson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Kansas flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Yates Center Fire | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 25, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 14, 2023 |
| Tornadoes And Flooding | May 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides | Apr 28, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 2, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 22, 2013 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
28 since 1996: 23 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 9, 2016 | $100 |
| Flood | May 16, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2013 | $100 |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2013 | $100 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 3, 2025. Thunderstorms developed across south-central Kansas during the morning hours of June 3rd and slowly moved to the northeast. Additional rounds of thunderstorms developed and trained across portions of south-central and southeast Kansas. Numerous reports of flash-flooding were observed across the area with significant flooding across Sedgwick and Butler counties.
Flash Flood · Jul 13, 2023. During the late night hours of July 12th, a weak boundary sagged into southeast Kansas which helped to trigger strong to severe thunderstorms across that area. Severe winds around 60 to 65 mph and very heavy rainfall which caused flooding in some areas.
Flood · Jul 16, 2021. Showers and thunderstorms dropped copious amounts of rain across the county warning area prompting several flood warnings and one flash flood warning in Montgomery county.
Flash Flood · May 24, 2019. A prolonged period of severe thunderstorms that produced a grand slam of flash floods, large hail, damaging winds & even a couple tornadoes hit nearly all of the Wichita (ICT) County Warning Area (CWA) throughout the afternoon & night on the 24th. Of the severe thunderstorm modes, floods & flash floods proved to be, by far, the greatest threat to these areas. The flash flooding continued across primarily Southeast…
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 Woodson 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.