Enter any address in Waseca County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates the flood character of Waseca County. Between 2000 and 2020, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 18 flash flood events and 11 general flood events in the county. Recent examples include widespread flooding and damaged buildings across Waseca County in August 2023 following 5-10 inches of rain over 72 hours, and significant road washouts in June 2024 due to 4-10 inches of rainfall.
While most National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims in Waseca County have been in Zone X (unshaded) with average payouts around $19,000 for minor flooding, a single claim in Zone A indicated no reported water depth or payout. Homeowners in areas prone to flash flooding, particularly those near small streams or in low-lying areas, should pay close attention to flood risk, regardless of their designated flood zone.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
14 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Waseca County, Minnesota has recorded 29 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 18 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 14 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 (1965–2024)
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 And Flooding | Flood | Sep 21, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jun 11, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Jan 3, 1997 |
| Severe Ice Storm | Severe Storm | Nov 14, 1996 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 17, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 22, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 22, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 25, 2011 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 17, 2025
Several individual rounds of thunderstorms impacted southern Minnesota from Friday, August 16th through Sunday, August 18th. Heavy rain amounts on the order of 5-10 inches fell over the course of 72 hours, most of which fell from late Saturday into early Sunday, leading to several cases of flooded roadways and damaged buildings. The highest amounts and most widespread impacts were across Waseca...
Flash Flood — Jun 21, 2024
Catastrophic flooding occurred across parts of Minnesota in mid to late June 2024 as a stationary boundary stalled out across the Upper Midwest.||On June 19-21, several rounds of thunderstorms developed and tracked along this boundary, producing widespread 4 to 6 inches of rain across southern Minnesota, with some locations picking up 8 to 10 inches of rain near Mankato Minnesota.||There were d...
Flash Flood — May 11, 2023
A slow moving system produced thunderstorms and heavy precipitation in the Trough of Warm Air Aloft (TROWAL) region of an upper low over South Central Minnesota. Due to the prolonged duration of heavy rainfall across the region, some localities experienced localized urban flash flooding. Waseca Emergency Managment reported street and small stream flooding 3 Miles NNW of New Richland, MN as well...
Flash Flood — Jul 5, 2019
An afternoon intensifying mesoscale convective system that moved from southeast South Dakota, eastward across southern Minnesota during the late afternoon and evening of Friday, July 5th, produced sporadic wind damage around Arlington, southeast to Henderson, Minnesota. Two brief tornadoes occurred. Part of a roof was blown off in Arlington, but it wasn't enough to determine whether it was a to...
Flood — Sep 22, 2016
On the evening of September 20th, a warm front was stretched west to east across southern Minnesota originating from a developing low pressure system across the South Dakota and Nebraska border. The weather pattern, and associated boundaries were nearly stationary through early Thursday morning, September 22nd. The atmosphere was very moist, which was evident in the soundings as near record hig...
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 Waseca 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 Waseca 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.