Enter any address in Watonwan County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Watonwan County. Recent events include catastrophic flooding in June 2024 due to widespread heavy rainfall, and significant flooding in the town of St. James in August 2014 following over 5 inches of rain in western Watonwan County. Spring melt events, like the one in March 2019 along the Minnesota River and its tributaries, also contribute to flood risk.
Homeowners in Watonwan County should be aware of flood risk, particularly those residing in Zone A and Zone X_Unshaded areas, which have experienced substantial National Flood Insurance Program claims. Properties located in areas prone to flash flooding from heavy rainfall events, or those near rivers and tributaries that experience spring melt flooding, warrant particular attention.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
3 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Watonwan County, Minnesota has recorded 19 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 10 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 13 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, 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 And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 22, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Jan 3, 1997 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Severe Storm | May 6, 1993 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 23, 2010 | 3.90M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 22, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 17, 2010 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2010 | 0.00K |
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...
Flood — Mar 16, 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...
Flash Flood — Aug 21, 2014
Several waves of thunderstorms moved across southern Minnesota during the morning of Thursday, August 21st. Rainfall amounts of over 5 inches occurred in western Watonwan County, with significant flooding in the town of St. James.
Flash Flood — Jun 16, 2014
The afternoon of Monday, June 16th, two major thunderstorm complexes across Nebraska and South Dakota, congealed into one along the Minnesota, Iowa border from Sioux Falls, eastward along I-90 to Fairmont and Albert Lea. Some of the severe storms moved north of I-90 and produced wind and hail as far north as Mankato, Waseca and Owatonna. Wind gusts in excess of 60 to 70 mph were clocked in the...
Flood — Mar 23, 2011
Due to a very wet fall, and a deep snow pack by mid March, when temperatures began to rise and melt the snow, area streams, creeks and eventually rivers rose to minor, moderate, and major stage levels. ||During the onset of the snow melt, area streams, creeks and rivers had numerous ice jams that caused flooding across many areas in southern Minnesota. Road closures due to creeks and streams de...
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 Watonwan 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 Watonwan 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.