109 flood insurance claims·$1.4M paid·7 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 Otter Tail 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 from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, accounting for 39 out of 50 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 11 general flood events. This severe weather pattern was demonstrated on August 14, 2020, when sporadic, slow-moving severe thunderstorms produced large hail, strong wind gusts, and flash flooding that persisted from the early morning hours through the afternoon.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that historical payouts and water depths vary significantly by zone. Properties located in Zone X recorded 71 claims with an average payout of $17,981 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X_UNSHADED properties filed 34 claims resulting in an average payout of $19,764 and a notably higher average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Zone A recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN logged 2 claims averaging a $751 payout with an average water depth of 1 inch.
Homeowners and real estate agents with properties in Zone X_UNSHADED should pay the most attention to local flood risks, as this category experienced the highest average water depths among recorded claims in the county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
94% of Otter Tail County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
36 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 7 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 2011, with 46 claims and $812,004 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
24 NOAA storm reports from Otter Tail County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 16, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 17, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 16, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Mar 21, 1997 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Jan 3, 1997 |
| Severe Thunderstorms, Winds, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Heat | Jul 9, 1995 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
50 since 1996: 39 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2018 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2018 | $10,000 |
— = 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…
Flash 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…
Flash Flood · Jul 14, 2019. Storms intensified during the mid afternoon hours, as temperatures climbed into the mid to upper 80s with dew points in the 70s. These storms continued through the early evening hours, producing large hail, damaging wind gusts, and very heavy rain. Clusters of storms tracked through the Wahpeton-Breckenridge and the Fergus Falls areas. These storms moved fairly slowly, which resulted in the heavy rain.
Flash Flood · Jun 17, 2018. During the evening of June 16th, a weak frontal boundary stretched north-northeast from Watertown in South Dakota, up through Wadena and International Falls in Minnesota. Along the boundary in west central Minnesota, surface dew points held in the lower 70s with precipitable water values around 1.50 inches. Thunderstorms flared up during the evening and produced a few damaging wind gusts in addition to a band of f…
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 Otter Tail 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.