Enter any address in Carver County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Carver County. Between 1993 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 17 flash flood events and 15 flood events. For example, in June 2018, intense rainfall rates of nearly 2 inches per hour were reported near Carver, leading to debris flowing over roads. In June 2014, multiple rounds of thunderstorms caused flash flooding that evolved into main-stem river flooding along the Minnesota River, impacting areas including the Twin Cities Metro.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties designated as Zone A have experienced the most claims (47), with an average payout of $1,787 and an average water depth of 0.6 feet. However, properties in Zone X, though fewer in number (9 claims), have seen significantly higher average payouts of $11,686 with an average water depth of 0.7 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those near rivers and streams, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
5 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Carver County, Minnesota has recorded 32 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 17 flash floods and 15 river or area floods. The county has received 17 federal disaster declarations, 9 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 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 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 1, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Flood | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, And Tornadoes | Tornado | May 15, 1998 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 17, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 18, 2014 | 9.20M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2013 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2012 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2010 | 240.00K |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2010 | 0.00K |
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...
Flash Flood — Jun 9, 2018
A complex of storms moved from South Dakota, eastward into southern Minnesota the morning of Saturday, June 9th. Rainfall rates were nearly 2 inches per hour as thunderstorms began to train along the Minnesota River around Belle Plaine and Carver. A few local private rain gauges and radar estimates reported nearly 3 to 4 inches of rain within two hours around Carver. A Twitter picture was sent ...
Flash Flood — Jun 19, 2014
Several rounds of thunderstorms developed across western and southern Minnesota during the late evening and early morning hours of Thursday, June 19th, and moved eastward through the mid morning hours. Although some of the thunderstorms did produced wind damage near Wintrop, most of the damage was associated with extreme rainfall rates, where flash flooding caused mud slides, road closures, and...
Flood — Jun 18, 2014
Several rounds of thunderstorms began during the week of June 14th, and continued through most of the week with areas of flash flooding. The flash flooding evolved into areal flooding, and then main-stem river flooding which continued through the end of the month. The hardest hit areas were from New Ulm to Mankato, northeast through the length of the Minnesota River, and the Twin Cities Metro a...
Flash Flood — Jun 23, 2013
Isolated severe storms near Redwood Falls and Albert Lea moved northeast across east central and southeast Minnesota during the early morning hours of Sunday, June 23rd. After 2 am, a line of severe storms developed across southwest Minnesota and raced eastward rapidly and produced occasional large hail and damaging wind gusts across southern Minnesota. Due to several rounds of thunderstorms m...
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 Carver 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 Carver 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.