17 flood insurance claims·$357,394 paid·5 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 Pipestone 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.
River and general flooding dominate the historical record in Pipestone County, MN, accounting for 81 out of 91 recorded flood events over the last thirty years, alongside 10 flash flood events.
Heavy rainfall events drive these conditions, as demonstrated in June 2024 when a multi-day storm dropped 5 to 10 inches of rain across southwest Minnesota. This precipitation caused streams and rivers to reach major to record flood levels, devastating multiple communities and producing extensive overland flooding.
Homeowners and real estate agents should pay the most attention to properties in Zone A, which received the highest number of National Flood Insurance Program claims at 13, with an average payout of $27,500 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Properties in Zone X also experienced claims, totaling 3 claims with an average payout of $24,224 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $9,720 and an average water depth of 1 inch.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
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 2010, with 10 claims and $136,880 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.
27 NOAA storm reports from Pipestone County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 15, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jun 11, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jul 1, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Jan 3, 1997 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
91 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 81 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | $250,000 |
| Flood | Apr 9, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 12, 2022 | — |
| Flood | May 11, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Jul 6, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 22, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches across southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating multiple towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in significant impacts and damages. All river crest information is preliminary until made official…
Flood · Jun 21, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches across southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating multiple towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in significant impacts and damages. All river crest information is preliminary until made official…
Flood · Apr 9, 2023. Rapid snowmelt from a few day period of well above normal temperatures focused on the 11-13th of April resulted in minor to locally moderate flooding through much of the Big Sioux River Basin. Some areas north of I-90 lost between 2 to 5 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) from the first to second week of April, but antecedent drought conditions resulted in only a percentage of this water actually making it into…
Flood · May 12, 2022. Heavy rainfall on May 11 from 1 to 3 inches in the Pipestone Creek and Redwood River Basins led to rapid runoff and a brief push into minor flood stage.
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 Pipestone 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.