51,227 flood insurance claims·$963.1M paid·14,260 policies in force
0 flood alerts from the National Weather Service, checked 2 minutes ago. Whole U.S. →
| River gauge | Now | Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Platte River near Platte City | Near flood stage (17.9 ft) | — |
| Platte River at Sharps Station | Near flood stage (21.9 ft) | — |
Is your address in the flood zone? Search it above for FEMA’s zone and base flood elevation. A new flood insurance policy usually takes 30 days to start (NFIP rule; exceptions include a policy bought when closing a mortgage), so one bought during a flood generally won’t cover it. Homeowners policies don’t cover flood.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Missouri. 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.
Missouri experiences a mixed flood risk profile dominated heavily by flash floods and standard riverine flooding. Over the last thirty years, NOAA data records 6,128 flash flood events resulting in 111 deaths, alongside 4,459 flood events causing 43 deaths, supplemented by two tropical storm events.
Federal disaster declarations reflect this persistent threat, highlighted by multiple severe storm and flooding declarations on May 23, 2025, as well as severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding declarations on May 16, 2025.
The National Flood Insurance Program claim mix demonstrates that high-risk FEMA Zone A bears the brunt of the financial impact, accounting for 41,515 claims totaling $814 million paid, with an average payout of $22,915. Residents situated in Zone A have the highest insurance need. Meanwhile, thousands of claims across Zone X categories—including 2,683 claims in Zone X, 2,430 claims in unshaded Zone X, and 1,769 claims in shaded Zone X—alongside 2,881 claims in unknown zones, indicate that property damage and surprise claims frequently occur outside of designated high-risk areas. Zone X claims alone represent over $132 million in total payments across its subcategories, with average payouts ranging from $16,280 to $33,715, proving that flood risk extends well beyond traditional high-risk zones.
Summary generated from FEMA disaster declarations, NOAA storm events, and NFIP claim data. Updated quarterly.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims, Policies, and Disaster Declarations data. NFIP policies in force and average premium (premium plus federal policy fee) as of August 31, 2026, from OpenFEMA.
Missouri has received 2,830 federal disaster declarations, including 522 flood and coastal storm declarations.
NFIP claims by county, 1978 to date. Source: OpenFEMA. Counties ranked by recorded flood events →
Properties in Missouri FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, are required to carry flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Missouri had 14,260 NFIP policies in force on August 31, 2026, and the average NFIP premium was $1,477 a year (premium plus the federal policy fee; the reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge come on top, and nationally they make actual bills about a quarter higher). Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 each building is priced on its own flood risk, so a state average says little about what any one home will pay.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from properties outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Missouri residents can purchase flood insurance through the NFIP or private insurers.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.
See the most flood-prone counties in Missouri →
Select a county to view local flood zone data and disaster history:
Select a city to check flood zone information: