6 flood insurance claims·$69,060 paid·4 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 DeKalb 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 summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in DeKalb County, Missouri. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 15 flash flood events compared to 6 general flood events.
Recent history illustrates these patterns. In June 2021, severe storms moving out of southeast Nebraska congealed into a line of thunderstorms focused across northern Missouri, bringing flash flooding to the region. Later, in April 2017, widespread moderate to heavy rain resulted in numerous flooded roads across northern Missouri, though impacts remained relatively low with closures resolving once waters receded.
Federal insurance claim history indicates that properties situated in Special Flood Hazard Area Zone A face the most direct financial risk, averaging 55 inches of recorded water depth across 4 claims with an average payout of $17,265. By comparison, properties in Zone X recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and prospective buyers in Zone A should pay the closest attention to these flood risks.
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 55 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 1993, with 2 claims and $10,260 paid, the year of Severe Storms & 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.
4 NOAA storm reports from DeKalb County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| 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 Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 12, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 8, 2007 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 5, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
21 since 1996: 15 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Sep 14, 2016 | — |
| Flood | Sep 13, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Jun 26, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2010 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 25, 2021. Late in the afternoon, and through the evening hours on June 24 a cluster of storms over southeast Nebraska congealed into a line of thunderstorms that focused across northern Missouri. Most notably within this line of storms was a cluster of QLCS tornadoes that formed in Grundy County. There may have been other tornadoes associated with circulations that were noted on radar, but emergency management confirmed dam…
Flood · Apr 5, 2017. Widespread moderate to heavy rain resulted in numerous roads across northern Missouri to be flooded. Impacts were rather low, as most of these closures were soon resolved once the water receded.
Flood · Sep 14, 2016. On the evening of September 13, widespread thunderstorm activity brought areas of flooding across northern Missouri and eastern Kansas. The extent of the impacts were several roads closed as a result of flowing and standing water. Rainfall amounts were very excessive, with some area reporting over 7 inches of rain. The highest report was in Doniphan County Kansas where over 11 inches of rain fell. Fortunately, the…
Flood · Sep 13, 2016. On the evening of September 13, widespread thunderstorm activity brought areas of flooding across northern Missouri and eastern Kansas. The extent of the impacts were several roads closed as a result of flowing and standing water. Rainfall amounts were very excessive, with some area reporting over 7 inches of rain. The highest report was in Doniphan County Kansas where over 11 inches of rain fell. Fortunately, the…
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 DeKalb 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.