Enter any address in Benton County, Missouri to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the primary flood hazard in Benton County. Between 1993 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 94 flash flood events and 35 general flood events, resulting in 4 fatalities. Recent events include significant flash flooding in and around Marshfield in June 2025, following heavy rainfall that dropped 3-5 inches of rain over two days. In May 2024, two rounds of severe thunderstorms produced flash flooding, along with hail and damaging winds.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $9,962 and an average water depth of 10.9 feet. While fewer claims have been filed in Zone UNKNOWN and Zone X, these areas have also experienced flooding. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in areas prone to flash flooding or with properties near waterways, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
31 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Benton County, Missouri has recorded 129 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 94 flash floods and 35 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 29, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Dec 8, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Severe Ice Storm | Jan 12, 2007 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2023 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 5, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 12, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 30, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 25, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 24, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jun 4, 2025
A very moist airmass led to the development of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall rates during the morning and afternoon of June 4th. Significant flash flooding occurred in and around the city of Marshfield. Additional heavy rainfall caused flooding into the evening and overnight hours with some areas picking up two day totals of 3-5 inches.
Flash Flood — May 8, 2024
Two rounds of severe thunderstorms occurred on May 8, 2024. The first round occurred during the morning and early afternoon hours as a surface low pressure system approached the area from the southwest, pushing a strong frontal boundary and shortwave energy/lift into the region. For this round, thunderstorms were more elevated in nature, producing hail up to golf ball size, damaging winds, and ...
Flash Flood — Aug 1, 2023
Thunderstorms which developed across northwestern Missouri moved south and east across central Missouri during the evening of the first and into the overnight hours. Storms began to train across the region producing rainfall amount from 2 to 4 inches with a few local readings as much as 6 inches. This rainfall produced flooding across the region along with isolated wind damage to trees and powe...
Flood — May 5, 2022
A stalled front from the storm a system on May 2-3 moved northward back into the Ozarks as a warm front as a strong upper level low over southern Colorado moved eastward into the southern Plains. This led to another several rounds of widespread heavy rainfall that occurred from the late morning of the 4th to the early morning of the 6th, when the surface low exited the area. Widespread accumula...
Flash Flood — Aug 4, 2022
An outflow boundary developed and moved southward into southern Missouri before interacting with a low level jet to produce additional heavy rainfall and isolated wind damage during the overnight hours of the 3rd into the morning of the 4th. Rainfall accumulations were highest over central and south central Missouri, ranging from two to four inches along and east of a line from Warsaw to West P...
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 Benton County, Missouri:
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 Benton County, Missouri 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.