25 flood insurance claims·$645,960 paid·3 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 Bates County, 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.
Flash flooding from heavy rain events dominates the flood history of Bates County, Missouri, accounting for twenty of the twenty-six recorded flood events over the last thirty years, alongside six general floods. Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms frequently triggers these conditions, as observed in May 2018 and June 2019 when torrential downpours caused localized flooding across the area.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties situated in high-risk Zone A face the most severe impacts, accounting for fourteen claims with an average water depth of sixteen inches and an average payout of $46,936. Properties in Zone X and unshaded Zone X areas have also experienced claims, recording averages of one inch of water depth with $17,119 in average payouts for six claims, and fourteen inches of water depth with $8,985 in average payouts for five claims, respectively.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located within Zone A, where historical insurance claims reflect the greatest flood depths and financial losses from heavy precipitation events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 14 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 2007, with 6 claims and $318,997 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Bates County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 29, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 3, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 1, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 20 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2021 | — |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 20, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Jul 28, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2015 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 28, 2021. Heavy rain produced some marginal flash flooding in Miami County Kansas and nearby Bates County Missouri.
Flood · May 21, 2019. A line of generally sub-severe thunderstorms moved through the region during the early morning hours on May 21. These storms didn't produce any severe winds or hail, but as they moved east wake low winds produced damage consisting of several tree limbs down as well as power lines and power poles. The storms then went on to produce torrential rains which caused areas of flooding.
Flash Flood · Jun 6, 2019. A few storms produced sub-severe hail, along with isolated hail up to golf ball sized. Isolated flash flooding also occurred due to heavy rain.
Flood · May 20, 2018. Numerous thunderstorms pushed through western and central Missouri on May 19. These storms produced very large hail, as large as baseballs. Strong winds, along with the hail, caused structural damage, mainly across northern Missouri.
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 Bates 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.