Enter any address in Morrison County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Morrison County. Recent events include a significant flash flood event on June 23, 2022, where storms produced excessive rainfall, and another on June 29, 2020, with rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour leading to over 7 inches of accumulation in some areas.
Homeowners in Zone X_UNSHADED have filed the most National Flood Insurance Program claims, averaging over $12,000 per payout. Those residing in Zone A also experience substantial claims, with higher average payouts. Residents in lower-lying areas or those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) designation should pay particular attention to their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
7 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Morrison County, Minnesota has recorded 20 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 11 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 14 federal disaster declarations, 7 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, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 8, 2022 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 20, 2013 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Flood | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Mn - Carlos Edge Fire Complex - 10/19/2000 | Fire | Oct 19, 2000 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Flood | Mar 21, 1997 |
| Drought | Drought | Jun 17, 1976 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 11, 2023 | 149.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2022 | 1.53M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 16, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2005 | — |
| Flood | Oct 4, 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 — Jun 23, 2022
During the late afternoon, and early evening of Thursday, June 23rd, a small complex of storms developed in central Minnesota. These storms were developing along an 850mb confluent boundary with an above normal plume of PWATs of 1.25. Due to a high freezing level, a sounding profile suggesting efficient warm-rain processes dominated. With back-building storms across central Minnesota, rainfall...
Flash Flood — Jun 29, 2020
The remnants of a thunderstorm complex that produced flash flooding earlier across parts of southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin, had reformed over central Minnesota during the evening of Monday, June 29th. A nearly stationary band of thunderstorms that was producing rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour, held over parts of Morrison County for several hours. There were several reports o...
Flash Flood — Jul 14, 2019
Several storms congealed in central Minnesota during the late afternoon, and early evening across Morrison County. These storms produced severe hail, some up to ping pong ball size near Little Falls. They also produced widespread areas of downed trees and power lines. There was a measured wind gust of 73 MPH near Pierz. In addition, torrential rainfall led to flash flooding at Camp Ripley.
Flash Flood — Jul 11, 2016
The morning of Monday, July 11th, two waves of thunderstorms moved across west central and central Minnesota. Very heavy rainfall and isolated hail occurred with the main area of storms. But these storms also produced a wide area of one half to two inches of rain by sunrise. ||The morning two events set the stage for flooding in central Minnesota as several additional waves of thunderstorms dev...
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 Morrison 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 Morrison 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.