434 flood insurance claims·$10.8M paid·5 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 Wyandotte 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 floods from severe storms dominate the recorded flood events in Wyandotte County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 32 flash flood events compared to 21 general flood events. Recent history includes severe thunderstorms in July 2025 that caused widespread flash flooding across the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro area. Additionally, heavy late winter and spring precipitation combined with snowpack caused prolonged Missouri River flooding that persisted through March, April, May, and June of 2019, resulting in record flooding and several broken levees.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows claims and payouts occurring across multiple zones, with the highest concentration in high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 200 claims with an average payout of $35,990 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Moderate- and lower-risk areas also experience significant impacts; Zone X_SHADED recorded 90 claims averaging $30,999 with an average water depth of 7 inches, Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 69 claims averaging $28,517 with an average water depth of 6 inches, and Zone X recorded 38 claims averaging $29,247 with an average water depth of 25 inches. An additional 37 claims occurred in Zone UNKNOWN with an average payout of $3,516 and an average water depth of 2 inches. Property owners and real estate professionals near the Missouri River and in designated flood zones should pay the closest attention to these risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
44% of Wyandotte County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
359 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 7 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 1998, with 74 claims and $3.1M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes and Flooding 10/31/98.
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.
11 NOAA storm reports from Wyandotte County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Kansas flood stories →
26 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 5 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 Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 14, 2023 |
| 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 | Jul 22, 2017 |
| Flooding | Jun 1, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 22, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
53 since 1996: 32 flash floods and 21 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2017 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2016 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 17, 2025. A cluster of severe thunderstorms moved through portions of eastern Kansas, including the Kansas side of the KC Metro area. Numerous reports of wind damage, severe wind gusts, and flash flooding occured.
Flash Flood · May 24, 2019. On the evening of May 24 strong storms brought severe winds and some isolated flash flooding.
Flood · May 1, 2019. Heavy late winter and spring precipitation, mixed with a loaded snow pack caused the Missouri River to flood in March. Consistent heavy rains continued the Missouri River flooding into and through May. Some locations along the Missouri River were in major flood for several weeks as heavy rains continued.
Flood · Jun 1, 2019. Heavy late winter and spring precipitation, mixed with a loaded snow pack caused the Missouri River to flood in March. Consistent heavy rains continued the Missouri River flooding into and through June. Some locations along the Missouri River were in major flood for several weeks as heavy rains continued. While the flooding continued through June, there was some gradual and steady improvement across the Missouri R…
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 Wyandotte 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.