Enter any address in McLeod County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in McLeod County. Between 2003 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 18 flash flood events and 9 flood events. Recent examples include heavy rainfall from thunderstorms causing flash flooding on August 10, 2016, and a significant snowmelt contributing to flooding around April 11, 2023.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows a mix of flood zones. Zone A properties have experienced an average of 1.7 feet of water depth with an average payout of $3,557. Zone X properties have seen an average of 2.9 feet of water depth with an average payout of $2,122. One claim in an unknown zone reached an average depth of 5.0 feet with a payout of $6,954, and a Zone X_Unshaded property had a $30,000 payout with an average depth of 1.0 foot.
Homeowners in Zone A, properties without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), and those in areas that have experienced flooding in the past should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
5 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
McLeod County, Minnesota has recorded 27 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 18 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 18 federal disaster declarations, 9 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, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jun 11, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 20, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jul 1, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Mar 16, 2011 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 1, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 11, 2023 | 18.50K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2016 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2013 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2013 | 75.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2010 | 190.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2005 | — |
Flood — Apr 11, 2023
A near-record snowfall season across Minnesota and Wisconsin led to a snowpack with snow-water-equivilent (SWE) values of 4 to 6 inches across much of the region by mid-March. Below normal temperatures for the first of of spring kept much of the snowpack in tact until the end of the month when it started to melt.||The melt accelerated in early April. On April 08, highs were in the 60s across th...
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 t...
Flash Flood — Jun 23, 2013
Isolated severe storms near Redwood Falls and Albert Lea moved northeast across east central and southeast Minnesota during the early morning hours of Sunday, June 23rd. After 2 am, a line of severe storms developed across southwest Minnesota and raced eastward rapidly and produced occasional large hail and damaging wind gusts across southern Minnesota. Due to several rounds of thunderstorms m...
Flash Flood — Jun 21, 2013
Two rounds of severe thunderstorms occurred across portions of southern and central Minnesota, between Friday afternoon, June 21st and early Saturday morning, June 22nd. These storms first developed across central South Dakota and moved into west central Minnesota after 4 pm, causing large hail, damaging winds and torrential rainfall. ||These storms weakened briefly in central Minnesota, before...
Flash Flood — Jun 17, 2012
A large cluster of thunderstorms that formed across the eastern Dakotas, moved eastward and developed a long-lived bow echo that moved across southern Minnesota during the evening of Sunday June 17th. Numerous trees, power lines, barns and roofs were damaged or destroyed across a large portion in southern Minnesota.||Winds were clocked at 78 mph at the Appleton Airport, and knocked down power ...
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 McLeod 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 McLeod 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.