96 flood insurance claims·$451,139 paid·4 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 Anoka County, Minnesota. 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 Anoka County, Minnesota, supported by 17 recorded flash flood events compared to 2 general flood events over the last 30 years. Historical incidents include severe weather driven by warm fronts and high moisture levels, such as the flash flooding that occurred in June 2016 and September 2016.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones with varying severity. Zone A accounts for 52 claims with an average payout of $7,765 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Zone X records show 19 claims with an average payout of $13,969 and an average recorded water depth of 34 inches. Additional claims are recorded in Zone X unshaded with an average payout of $4,491 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches, and Zone X shaded with an average payout of $5,923 and an average water depth of 0 inches.
Homeowners and real estate agents should pay the closest attention to properties located within high-risk Zone A, as well as properties in Zone X areas where claims recorded significantly higher average water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
30% of Anoka County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
74 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 12 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 1997, with 14 claims and $37,261 paid, the year of Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms and Severe Storms, Tornadoes, High Winds, 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.
7 NOAA storm reports from Anoka County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
13 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | May 21, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Mn - Carlos Edge Fire Complex - 10/19/2000 | Oct 19, 2000 |
| Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, And Tornadoes | May 15, 1998 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, High Winds, Flooding | Jun 28, 1997 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Mar 21, 1997 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Jul 20, 1987 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 17 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2016 | $1.0M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 1, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2011 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2011 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2009 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 25, 2025. A warm front lifted north into southern Minnesota on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25th. Strong surface heating to the south of the front with dew points in the 70s allowed for ample instability to develop across the area. Scattered thunderstorms developed in response to the instability and flash flooding occurred in western and east central MN. Strong low-level shear allowed these low-topped supercells to rot…
Flash Flood · Jul 23, 2016. Thunderstorms that developed across Nebraska, South Dakota and western Iowa early Saturday morning, July 23rd, moved northeast into southern and western Minnesota during the morning. Although most of the damage was associated with uprooted trees and occasional severe wind gusts, flash flooding became more apparent during the afternoon along with a few large hail reports. ||Most of the reports of tree damage occurr…
Flash Flood · Sep 21, 2016. On the evening of September 20th, a warm front was stretched west to east across southern Minnesota originating from a developing low pressure system across the South Dakota and Nebraska border. The weather pattern, and associated boundaries were nearly stationary through early Thursday morning, September 22nd. The atmosphere was very moist, which was evident in the soundings as near record high Precipitable Water…
Flash Flood · Jun 1, 2014. Several rounds of strong thunderstorms moved across southern Minnesota, producing torrential rainfall with rates as high as 3 inches per hour. Precipitable water values were 1.6 to 1.7 inches of liquid water, which is equivalent to 150 to 175% above normal for the Upper Midwest for early June. ||Rainfall totals earlier Saturday afternoon were around 2 to 4 inches across the western Suburbs from previous thundersto…
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 Anoka 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.