6 flood insurance claims·$141,584 paid·3 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 Meeker 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 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 1984, with 2 claims and $68,342 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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Meeker County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
11 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| 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 Winter Storms | Jan 3, 1997 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | May 6, 1993 |
| Drought | Jun 17, 1976 |
| Flooding | Apr 18, 1969 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
11 since 1996: 6 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2011 | $125,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2003 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2002 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2002 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2002 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 22, 2001 | $300,000 |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2001 | — |
| Flood | Mar 31, 1997 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 15, 2011. A complex of thunderstorms that developed across southeast North Dakota, moved into west central Minnesota during the early morning hours of Friday, July 15th. ||Several waves of thunderstorms moved across west central and central Minnesota during the morning, then mainly across east central and south central Minnesota during the afternoon. Due to the tropical type air mass in place, rainfall rates were extremely…
Flash Flood · Apr 22, 2001. Two to four inches rain fell on saturated ground. The most severe damage occured in Santiago (Sherburne County), where a dike along County Road 11 gave way and allowed water to come crashing into town. About one dozen homes and businesses were flooded and evacuations were necessary. Other damage included flooded basements in Foley (Benton County) and Milaca (Mille Lacs County). County officials reported roads…
Flood · Apr 1, 2001. Heavy snowfall during winter remained on the ground through the end of March and then rapidly melted, resulting in river stages close to record levels. Water began to gush through drainage ditches, streams and into the mainstem rivers during midday April 1. Heavy rain April 7-8 over much of central Minnesota (see corresponding flood entry) prolonged the high water and also added one or two feet to many crests dur…
Flood · Mar 31, 1997. South Fork of the Crow River reached Flood stage at Delano on 3/31/87. Delano is the river monitoring point. The river crested on 4/8/97 which was the third highest crest in recorded history.
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 Meeker 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.