8 flood insurance claims·$132,326 paid·4 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 Kandiyohi 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Kandiyohi County, supplemented by recurring general floods. NOAA records from the last 30 years show nine flash flood events and six flood events.
Severe weather events illustrate these risks. In August 2016, thunderstorms dropped rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, resulting in a 3 to 6 inch total accumulation across the region. Earlier, in March 2009, heavy rainfall combined with unseasonable spring moisture and thick ice on areal streams to cause ice jams, roadway flooding, and rising rivers. Additionally, in October 2004, stationary thunderstorms dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain in a few hours, causing street flooding that included five flooded intersections in Willmar.
NFIP claims data shows historical payouts across different zones. Zone X recorded 5 claims with an average payout of $24,630 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone A recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $9,175 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 1 claim with a $0 payout and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Property owners in both Zone X and Zone A should pay close attention to these flood risks.
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 1 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 2025, with 2 claims and $14,564 paid.
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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Kandiyohi County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 29, 2022 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 14, 2012 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jul 1, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, High Winds, Flooding | Jun 28, 1997 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Mar 21, 1997 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Jan 3, 1997 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
15 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 10, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2016 | $250,000 |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2009 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2007 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 26, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2005 | — |
| Flood | Oct 28, 2004 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2003 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Aug 10, 2016. Several waves of thunderstorms moved across central and southern Minnesota, and into west central Wisconsin between the late afternoon of Wednesday, August 10th, through Thursday morning, August 11th. A few of the storms produced large hail and severe wind gusts as several bow echoes formed. However, the main hazard became the extremely heavy rainfall with bouts of rainfall rates as high as 2 to 3 inches per hour.…
Flash Flood · Aug 10, 2016. Several waves of thunderstorms moved across central and southern Minnesota, and into west central Wisconsin between the late afternoon of Wednesday, August 10th, through Thursday morning, August 11th. A few of the storms produced large hail and severe wind gusts as several bow echoes formed. However, the main hazard became the extremely heavy rainfall with bouts of rainfall rates as high as 2 to 3 inches per hour.…
Flood · Mar 23, 2009. A strong area of low pressure moved northward across the upper midwest and combined with unseasonable early Spring gulf moisture to cause a large area of heavy rainfall. Local rainfall totals were in the two to three inch range before the system moved north of the region. Along with the heavy rainfall, and due to thick ice remaining on areal streams, creeks and rivers, ice jams developed and caused flooding of are…
Flash Flood · Aug 20, 2007. A persistent front spawned thunderestorms with heavy rain.
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 Kandiyohi 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.