Enter any address in Pope County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is a notable flood hazard in Pope County. Recent events include heavy rainfall and flooding observed near Glenwood in August 2011, and flash flooding reported in June 2013. Additionally, a significant snowmelt event in April 2023 contributed to near-record snowpack melt and rising water levels.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that while Zone X areas have seen more claims, Zone A areas have experienced deeper average water depths. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, as well as those residing near rivers or in low-lying areas prone to rapid water accumulation, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
2 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pope County, Minnesota has recorded 17 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 11 flash floods and 6 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 6 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 29, 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 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Mar 16, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Flood | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms | Flood | Mar 21, 1997 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Jan 3, 1997 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 11, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2009 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2005 | 1K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 25, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2003 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2002 | 25K |
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 21, 2013
Several rounds of thunderstorms developed Thursday late afternoon and evening, June 20th, mostly in west central Minnesota, and moved eastward. These storms produced some penny to quarter size hail, but the main event was damaging straight line winds and torrential rainfall during the late evening and overnight period. These storms moved across central and east central Minnesota after midnight,...
Flash Flood — Jun 20, 2013
Several rounds of thunderstorms developed Thursday late afternoon and evening, June 20th, mostly in west central Minnesota, and moved eastward. These storms produced some penny to quarter size hail, but the main event was damaging straight line winds and torrential rainfall during the late evening and overnight period. These storms moved across central and east central Minnesota after midnight,...
Flash Flood — Aug 1, 2011
Severe thunderstorms moved from the area west of Alexandria, southeast to the Twin Cities on Monday, August 1st. Most of the damage occurred in the morning around Alexandria, Starbuck and Glenwood, along with very heavy rainfall and flooding near Glenwood, Minnesota. There was some decrease in the thunderstorm intensity during the late morning, but they re-intensified by the early afternoon wes...
Flash Flood — Jul 10, 2010
Before the main afternoon severe weather, a small cluster of storms produced some dime size hail near Willmar, Minnesota, along with severe wind gusts in the mid morning hours. ||During the afternoon of Sunday July 10th, a cluster of thunderstorms developed along a southwest to northeast surface trough, near the Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota border.||Strong surface heating with temp...
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 Pope 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 Pope 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.