Enter any address in Carter County, Missouri to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is a primary flood concern in Carter County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 32 flood events and 30 flash flood events, with one recorded fatality. Recent events include flash flooding on May 26, 2024, and November 4, 2024, which brought 4-6 inches of rain to parts of the county, causing street flooding in Van Buren.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A, which typically have a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) but no detailed flood hazard analysis, have experienced the most claims. However, properties in Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded have also seen claims with substantial average payouts and significant water depths, suggesting that flood risk extends beyond officially mapped high-risk areas. Homeowners in all flood zones, particularly those near rivers and streams, should be aware of their specific flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
32 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Carter County, Missouri has recorded 62 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 30 flash floods and 32 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1976–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Mar 30, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires | Severe Storm | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Nov 3, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 3, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Flood | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Dec 22, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 19, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 23, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Nov 6, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 4, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 8, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 5, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 25, 2021 | 0.00K |
Flood — Sep 23, 2025
A boundary stretching across portions of Southeast Missouri resulted in thunderstorms with heavy rain during the early morning hours of the 23rd from Carter County southeastward to New Madrid. A broader area of rainfall arrived late morning which produced additional heavy rains. Flooding issues developed in Southeastern Carter County which received some of the higher totals from both rounds. Pr...
Flash Flood — May 26, 2024
The second major severe weather outbreak for the month occurred on the 26th for the Quad State region. On the synoptic scale, a shortwave trough centered in the middle of the country with a 60 kt mid-level jet moved across northern Arkansas. A weak surface low was moving into SE Missouri during the morning with a secondary low located further northwest. A warm frontal boundary was draped across...
Flood — May 26, 2024
The second major severe weather outbreak for the month occurred on the 26th for the Quad State region. On the synoptic scale, a shortwave trough centered in the middle of the country with a 60 kt mid-level jet moved across northern Arkansas. A weak surface low was moving into SE Missouri during the morning with a secondary low located further northwest. A warm frontal boundary was draped across...
Flood — Nov 6, 2024
Multiple rounds of training heavy rain along a slow moving frontal boundary affected Southern and Eastern Missouri from the 4th through the 6th of November. Western fringes of the WFO Paducah county warning area in Carter County received 4-6 inches of rainfall in this span. Many locations further west and north from West Plains to Hillsboro in Missouri reached 7 to 10 inches of rainfall. Street...
Flash Flood — Nov 4, 2024
Multiple rounds of training heavy rain along a slow moving frontal boundary affected Southern and Eastern Missouri from the 4th through the 6th of November. Western fringes of the WFO Paducah county warning area in Carter County received 4-6 inches of rainfall in this span. Many locations further west and north from West Plains to Hillsboro in Missouri reached 7 to 10 inches of rainfall. Street...
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 Carter 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 Carter 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.