Enter any address in Brown County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flood events, including flash flooding, are the primary flood hazards in Brown County, MN. Recent events include localized urban flooding in Comfrey in May 2023 due to prolonged heavy rainfall, and a severe spring flood melt in March 2019 along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that while Zone A areas have experienced the most claims, Zone X areas have seen significantly deeper water depths on average, with an average of 9.4 feet. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and Zone X_Shaded, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
6 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Brown County, Minnesota has recorded 19 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 4 flash floods and 15 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 11 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 15, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jun 11, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Mar 16, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Tornado | Jun 17, 2010 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 1, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 12, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2018 | 385.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 18, 2014 | 850.00K |
| Flood | Mar 21, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 23, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 22, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2010 | 160.00K |
Flood — May 12, 2023
A slow moving system produced thunderstorms and heavy rainfall as result from a Trough of Warm Air Aloft (TROWAL) region of an upper low over South Central Minnesota. Due to the prolonged duration of heavy rainfall across the region, some localities experienced localized urban flooding. Brown County Emergency Management reported feet of water in the city of Comfrey, MN. ||Overall, the highest o...
Flood — Mar 17, 2019
There were many factors that led to a severe Spring flood melt along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers and several of their tributaries during the last two weeks of March. The first factor was above average snowpack, especially over the Minnesota River Valley for mid March. Additionally, the added effect of a cold late Winter kept this snowpack deeper into the early Spring. Once temperatures...
Flood — Jul 3, 2018
During the overnight hours of Tuesday, July 3rd, a persistent line of storms, with rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour, moved very little from Marshall to Redwood Falls, Olivia, then southward to Tracy, Lamberton, and Springfield, Minnesota. The heaviest rainfall held over the Redwood, and Cottonwood river basin for several hours. Several of the flash flooding parameters, including flash f...
Flash Flood — Jun 17, 2016
A large complex of thunderstorms developed across North Dakota during the early morning of Friday, June 17th. These storms moved eastward across eastern North Dakota and produced a large area of severe winds and hail. ||As the storms moved into northwest Minnesota Friday morning, a small line started to form and move southeast toward central Minnesota. Several reports of large hail occurred in ...
Flash Flood — Jun 18, 2014
Thunderstorms developed late Tuesday evening along an elevated frontal boundary across far southern Minnesota. Initially, torrential rainfall caused flooding around New Ulm and Mankato, then it evolved into a wind damage threat as it moved eastward across south central Minnesota. Significant damage occurred in Albert Lea as a downburst likely caused a home to be destroyed. The flash flooding in...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Brown County, Minnesota:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Brown County, Minnesota that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.