Enter any address in Fillmore County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Fillmore County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 34 flash flood events and 14 flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on June 22nd, which caused road closures, including Interstate 90 in a neighboring county. Heavy rains from Tropical Depression Cristobal also produced flash flooding and mudslides near Whalan on June 9th, 2020, impacting State Highway 16.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $6,793 and an average water depth of 3.0 feet. While Zone X_UNSHADED has fewer claims, the average payout is similar at $6,839, with a slightly deeper average water depth of 3.7 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED, as well as those located near waterways or in areas without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
27 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Fillmore County, Minnesota has recorded 48 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 34 flash floods and 14 river or area floods. The county has received 18 federal disaster declarations, 6 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 And Flooding | Flood | Sep 21, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 20, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 6, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 18, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 17, 2000 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2019 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2019 | 30.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2019 | 35.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2018 | 210.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 22, 2016 | 10.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 22, 2024
During the early morning hours on June 22nd, a slow moving line of thunderstorms produced flooding resulting in several road closures. Most notably Interstate 90 was closed in Mower County due to water over the road.
Flash Flood — Jun 9, 2020
Heavy rains from Tropical Depression Cristobal fell across southeast Minnesota on June 9th. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were common with locally higher amounts of 4 to 5 inches. This heavy rain created some flash flooding with mudslides across portions of Fillmore and Winona Counties. Mudslides occurred near Whalan (Fillmore County) that impacted State Highway 16. Mudslides also occurred n...
Flash Flood — Jun 28, 2019
Thunderstorms with very heavy rain moved very slowly across southeast Minnesota during the early morning hours of June 28th. These storms dumped between 3 and 7 inches of rain that resulted in flash flooding occurring in Dodge, Olmsted and Fillmore Counties. The Rochester International Airport (Olmsted County) was closed when water covered the runways. Numerous roads were underwater and between...
Flash Flood — Jul 19, 2019
Several rounds of thunderstorms moved across southeast Minnesota during the late evening of July 18th into the early morning of July 19th. As the initial round of storms moved through, a brief tornado touched down east of Witoka (Winona County). The tornado damaged a house and numerous trees. These storms dropped between 3 and 5 inches of rain across portions of Winona and Houston Counties. Run...
Flash Flood — Jun 15, 2019
A complex of thunderstorms developed over southeast Minnesota during the afternoon of June 15th. As these storms initially formed, some of them dropped large hail on parts of Mower and Fillmore Counties. The largest hail reported was half dollar sized east of Grand Meadow (Mower County). As the storms matured, they became heavy rain producers with rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches common across...
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 Fillmore 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 Fillmore 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.