10 flood insurance claims·$149,607 paid·8 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 Mahnomen 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 and general flooding from severe summer thunderstorms and spring snowmelt shape the flood risk in Mahnomen County, Minnesota. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 10 flash flood events and 8 flood events. Notable occurrences include overland flooding from melting snow in April 2013 and heavy rain driven by severe thunderstorms in August 2020.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that historical payouts have occurred across lower-risk zones. Zone X recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $32,010 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $10,848 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Additionally, Zone UNKNOWN logged 2 claims averaging $10,184 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches.
Homeowners and real estate professionals should pay the closest attention to properties situated in Zone X and unshaded Zone X areas, as these zones have accumulated the majority of historical flood insurance claims in the county.
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 2001, with 3 claims and $41,286 paid, the year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes.
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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Mahnomen County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 11, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 22, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 16, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Jun 9, 2002 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 17, 2000 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Mar 21, 1997 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
18 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Apr 28, 2013 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2010 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2009 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Apr 6, 2009 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Mar 30, 2006 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2006 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 9, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 Minnesota. These storm…
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 North Dakota and wes…
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 of warmer weather b…
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 Mahnomen 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.