20 flood insurance claims·$366,147 paid·7 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 Jackson 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.
Standard riverine flooding events dominate Jackson County, supported by 39 recorded flood events compared to 16 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall and rising streams drive this risk, as demonstrated by a multi-day heavy rainfall event from June 20 to 22, 2024, which delivered 5 to 10 inches of rain across southwest Minnesota and caused major to record flooding, extensive overland damage, and a subsequent Presidential Disaster Declaration. River levels from this historic event remained above flood stage into July 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties located within high-risk Zone A face the highest financial and physical exposure. Zone A accounts for 15 claims with an average payout of $32,204 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. By comparison, Zone X accounts for 2 claims with an average payout of $5,949 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X_UNSHADED, Zone X_SHADED, and Zone UNKNOWN each recorded 1 claim with $0 average payouts and recorded water depths averaging 0 inches for Zone UNKNOWN and 1 inch for Zone X_UNSHADED.
Property owners located in Zone A and near area streams and rivers should pay the closest attention to flood risk given the historical frequency of river overflow and higher average claim severity in these zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 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 2024, with 8 claims and $342,277 paid, the year of Severe Storms and 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.
8 NOAA storm reports from Jackson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 15, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jun 11, 2014 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 9, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 18, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
55 since 1996: 16 flash floods and 39 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | $355,000 |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Mar 6, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Apr 2, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 29, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 22, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches across southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating multiple towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in significant impacts and damages. All river crest information is preliminary until made official…
Flood · Jun 21, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches across southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating multiple towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in significant impacts and damages. All river crest information is preliminary until made official…
Flood · Jul 1, 2024. River levels from the historic June flooding remained above flood stage for some locations into July, although continued a declining trend.
Flood · Mar 6, 2020. With one to four inches of liquid residing in the snowpack near and north of Interstate 90 at the start of the month, a more or less ideal melting of the winter snowpack in early March produced flooding across southwest Minnesota rivers.
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 Jackson 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.