Enter any address in Goodhue County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Goodhue County. In the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 20 flash flood events, resulting in 3 fatalities, alongside 9 other flood events. Recent examples include excessive rainfall in August 2014 near Hampton, causing damage along the Cannon River, and a significant rainfall event in July 2013 impacting areas around Northfield and Dundas.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $12,043 for a water depth of 4.2 feet. However, properties in Zone X, typically considered moderate to low risk, have seen higher average payouts of $14,203 with an average water depth of 7.1 feet, suggesting that flood risk can extend beyond mapped high-risk areas. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and X_UNSHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
3 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Goodhue County, Minnesota has recorded 29 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 20 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 18 federal disaster declarations, 8 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 And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 14, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 1, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 9, 2002 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 22, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 17, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 2, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 23, 2010 | 540.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 5, 2019
An afternoon intensifying mesoscale convective system that moved from southeast South Dakota, eastward across southern Minnesota during the late afternoon and evening of Friday, July 5th, produced sporadic wind damage around Arlington, southeast to Henderson, Minnesota. Two brief tornadoes occurred. Part of a roof was blown off in Arlington, but it wasn't enough to determine whether it was a to...
Flood — Sep 22, 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 hig...
Flash Flood — Aug 17, 2014
During the late afternoon and early evening of Sunday, August, 17th, several waves of thunderstorms moved across southern Dakota and northern Goodhue County. Rainfall was excessive with a report of five inches near Hampton in less than 2 hours. The worst areas were along the Cannon River northeast of Cannon Falls. The Miesville Ravine County Park had damage to their trail road. Downstream from ...
Flash Flood — Jul 13, 2013
Scattered thunderstorms that developed across west central Minnesota early Saturday morning, July 13th, moved southeast across central, east central and south central Minnesota by daybreak. After 3 AM CST, thunderstorms began across of the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, and slowly moved southeast across the southwest Metro, and then portions of south central and southeast Minnesota around...
Flash Flood — Jun 20, 2012
A line of thunderstorms developed Wednesday afternoon across south central and east-central Minnesota and trained over the same areas for about an hour or two. This caused flash flooding in areas that had received flooding in the past week near the Welch in portions of northeast Goodhue County.
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 Goodhue 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 Goodhue 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.