Enter any address in Pennington County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Pennington County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 10 flash flood events and 5 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding reported on August 14, 2020, and September 20, 2019, both associated with severe thunderstorms.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone X have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $1,656 and an average water depth of 9.3 feet. However, properties in Zone X_Unshaded have seen significantly higher average payouts ($6,603) despite a reported average water depth of 0.0 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in unknown or unshaded zones, should pay particular attention to 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.
Pennington County, Minnesota has recorded 15 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 10 flash floods and 5 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 11 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1966–2022)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 22, 2022 |
| 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 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Mar 16, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 9, 2002 |
| Severe Ice Storm And Flooding | Severe Ice Storm | Mar 1, 1999 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Flood | Mar 21, 1997 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2020 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 20, 2019 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2014 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2010 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2010 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2009 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Apr 10, 2009 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Mar 30, 2006 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2006 | — |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2002 | — |
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 Mi...
Flash Flood — Sep 20, 2019
By the late afternoon of the 20th, a weak area of surface low pressure set up near Devils Lake, with the warm front extending out to the east-southeast. Temperatures had risen into the mid 70s to low 80s in the warm sector, with dew points in the upper 60s to lower 70s. To the southwest of the low, a cold front extended back toward Bismarck. Just before 5 pm CDT, a fairly solid line of thunders...
Flash Flood — Jul 21, 2014
During the late afternoon of July 21st, a stationary boundary set up across northeast North Dakota. Temperatures north of the boundary were generally in the low to mid 80s, while to the south they were in the mid 80s to low 90s. Surface dew point readings were very high, with most locations in the low to mid 70s. A few thunderstorms fired north of the front around the Langdon, ND, area, droppin...
Flash Flood — May 25, 2010
After the first round of elevated convection from the early morning hours of the 24th drifted off to the northeast, a surface warm front was left along the North Dakota and South Dakota border by mid morning. By mid afternoon of the 24th, the warm front had pushed north to a Jamestown (ND) to Bemidji (MN) line. Behind this front, afternoon temperatures had increased to around 90 degrees with de...
Flash Flood — May 24, 2010
After the first round of elevated convection from the early morning hours of the 24th drifted off to the northeast, a surface warm front was left along the North Dakota and South Dakota border by mid morning. By mid afternoon of the 24th, the warm front had pushed north to a Jamestown (ND) to Bemidji (MN) line. Behind this front, afternoon temperatures had increased to around 90 degrees with de...
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 Pennington 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 Pennington 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.