145 flood insurance claims·$1.3M paid·9 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 Ramsey 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 Ramsey County, accounting for 19 events and 1 death alongside 6 general flood events over the last 30 years. Recent storms demonstrate this localized threat, such as the July 2024 event when rainfall rates nearing two inches per hour caused urban flash flooding and left a car stranded with all lanes underwater at the intersection of I-35E and Shepard Road in downtown St. Paul. Similarly, a nearly stationary thunderstorm in July 2020 produced up to 2 inches of rainfall in a short period, resulting in temporary road closures around Maplewood.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that claims span multiple zones, with moderate-to-low risk areas seeing significant impact. Properties in Zone X accumulated 60 claims with an average payout of $13,067 and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Zone A properties recorded 40 claims with an average payout of $25,459 and an average water depth of 12 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X_UNSHADED properties recorded 26 claims with an average payout of $8,906 and an average water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated special flood hazard areas and standard moderate-to-low risk zones should pay close attention to drainage and localized stormwater capacity, as heavy rainfall frequently causes urban flash flooding outside of major river corridors.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
40% of Ramsey County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
67 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 9 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 2001, with 22 claims and $434,026 paid, the year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes.
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.
9 NOAA storm reports from Ramsey County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jun 11, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 16, 2011 |
| Flooding | Mar 1, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 17, 2000 |
| Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, And Tornadoes | May 15, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
25 since 1996: 19 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Jun 18, 2014 | $1.9M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2011 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 25, 2025. A warm front lifted north into southern Minnesota on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25th. Strong surface heating to the south of the front with dew points in the 70s allowed for ample instability to develop across the area. Scattered thunderstorms developed in response to the instability and flash flooding occurred in western and east central MN. Strong low-level shear allowed these low-topped supercells to rot…
Flash Flood · Jul 21, 2024. On the morning of July 21st, a cluster of showers and thunderstorms containing heavy rainfall developed over the Twin Cities metropolitan area along a slow-moving surface frontal boundary. Rainfall rates neared two inches per hour which caused urban flash flooding in downtown St. Paul at the intersection of I-35E and Shepard Rd. A car was left stranded with all lanes of traffic underwater.
Flash Flood · Jul 5, 2020. A thunderstorm developed over the eastern Twin Cities Metro area during the afternoon of Sunday, July 5th. This storm was nearly stationary for an hour and produced up to 2 inches of rainfall in a short period of time. Four separate flood reports were noted with roads temporarily closed around Maplewood.
Flash Flood · Sep 17, 2015. A line of thunderstorms developed early Thursday morning, September 17th in eastern Minnesota, near the Twin Cities. These storms produced very heavy rainfall, gusty winds and some hail. The largest hail stone was quarter size near Crystal. Several thunderstorms moved across northern Dakota, southern Ramsey, and parts of western Washington Counties, and produced up to 2-3 inches of rainfall in less than 2 hours. T…
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 Ramsey 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.