Enter any address in Sibley County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Sibley County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 15 flood events and 10 flash flood events. Recent examples include heavy rain causing flooding on June 2-3, 2024, and a flash flood event on June 16, 2024, attributed to a complex of thunderstorms. Another flash flood event on June 28, 2020, brought torrential rain to the area.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone X have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $7,411 and an average water depth of 1.5 feet. Properties in Zone A have also seen claims, with an average payout of $1,408 and an average water depth of 1.5 feet. Homeowners in Zone X and Zone A, as well as those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) determination, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
6 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Sibley County, Minnesota has recorded 25 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 10 flash floods and 15 river or area floods. The county has received 21 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 (1965–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Jun 16, 2024 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 15, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jun 11, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 20, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 14, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Mar 16, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 22, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 2, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 18, 2014 | 3.90M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 1, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 21, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 20, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2010 | 60.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 16, 2024
A complex of thunderstorms moved across the region on Sunday, June 16. Later that evening and overnight another complex of thunderstorms developed over south central Minnesota.
Flood — Jun 2, 2024
On Sunday evening June 2 and into Monday June 3, a round of strong storms developed across eastern SD and southwestern MN along a stationary boundary. These storms produced a brief tornado in Renville County, wind damage in Morrison County, and small hail in Stevens County. There were also 3 to 4 inches of heavy rain in central Minnesota, with flooding reported in Todd and Sibley Counties.
Flash Flood — Jun 29, 2020
During the evening of Sunday, June 28th, a complex of thunderstorms that developed across Iowa previously, moved slowly northward across southern Minnesota before stalling in central Minnesota Monday morning. Before the torrential rain began in south central Minnesota, a few of the storms caused minor damage to a home in Sibley County. ||Deep moisture convergence along the axis of thunderstorms...
Flash Flood — Jul 25, 2020
A very anomalous moist atmosphere was in place for this flash flood event to develop. Precipitable water values (PWATs) were over 2 inches across southern Minnesota which is well over climatological normals. The 2.25 inches of precipitable water tallied from the 7 PM weather balloon launch at Chanhassen was just below record record levels for the day and was above the 95th percentile for this t...
Flood — Mar 17, 2019
There were many factors that led to a severe Spring flood melt along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers and several of their tributaries during the last two weeks of March. The first factor was above average snowpack, especially over the Minnesota River Valley for mid March. Additionally, the added effect of a cold late Winter kept this snowpack deeper into the early Spring. Once temperatures...
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 Sibley 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 Sibley 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.