Enter any address in Mahnomen County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Mahnomen County. Recent events include flash flooding on August 14, 2020, caused by slow-moving thunderstorms, and overland flooding on April 28, 2013, due to melting snow.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows claims in Zone X_Unshaded and Zone X. Zone X_Unshaded had 4 claims with an average payout of $10,848 and an average water depth of -0.5 feet. Zone X had 2 claims with an average payout of $47,599 and an average water depth of -0.5 feet.
Homeowners in areas prone to flash flooding and overland flooding, particularly those in or near Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
4 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Mahnomen County, Minnesota has recorded 18 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 10 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 20 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 (1965–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Apr 11, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 22, 2022 |
| 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 | Severe Storm | Mar 16, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 9, 2002 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 17, 2000 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Flood | Mar 21, 1997 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Apr 28, 2013 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2010 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2009 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Apr 6, 2009 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Mar 30, 2006 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2006 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 9, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2002 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2002 | — |
Flood — Aug 14, 2020
During the very early morning hours of Friday, August 14th, sporadic slow moving severe thunderstorms formed across portions of west central Minnesota. These resulted in reports of large hail, strong wind gusts, and flash flooding. Prior to sunrise and through Friday morning, additional storms developed back westward into southeast North Dakota, and they continued to fire across west central Mi...
Flood — Apr 28, 2013
Melting snow caused overland flooding across portions of northwest Minnesota. Many rural roads were closed due to high water from the melting snow.
Flash Flood — May 24, 2010
As the low level jet increased late in the evening of the 23rd and the early morning of the 24th, it transported very warm, moist, and unstable air into southeast North Dakota and west central Minnesota. Precipitable water values also increased to around 1.75 inches, which brought a heavy rain threat as well. Thunderstorms initially fired in northeast South Dakota and then moved into southeast ...
Flood — Mar 22, 2009
A stretch of warmer weather occurred from March 14th to 17th, which resulted in high temperatures in the 40s and low 50s. The snow depth in Fargo on the 14th was 15 inches with a melted water equivalent of 3.10 inches. By the 17th, the snow depth in Fargo had dropped to 6 inches. This was followed by a couple of cooler days, which temporarily slowed down any additional snowmelt. A second period...
Flood — Apr 6, 2009
This flood event began for many counties in late March, then continued through April and into May. After the winter storm event that dumped up to two feet of snow over portions of the region from March 29th through April 1st, temperatures remained below normal through the tenth of the month. Luckily, there were no other big rain or snow events through this time. However, being early April, the ...
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 Mahnomen 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 Mahnomen 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.