1 flood insurance claims·$8,414 paid·2 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 Henry 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.
Standard river and stream flooding dominates the flood character of Henry County, Missouri, accounting for 152 events alongside 27 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Flash flooding has resulted in 1 fatality in the county during this period.
Recent historical events illustrate these risks. In May 2019, a line of thunderstorms produced torrential rains that caused areas of flooding. Additionally, multiple rounds of moderate to heavy rain occurred in July 2020, resulting in minor flooding and several road closures. FEMA records indicate that historical NFIP claims in the county include Zone UNKNOWN, which recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $8,414 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch.
Properties located near unmapped or unknown flood zones, as well as areas susceptible to rising waters from severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, should pay the most 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 1 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.
13 NOAA storm reports from Henry County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 2 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 Winter Storms | Dec 8, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
179 since 1996: 27 flash floods and 152 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 28, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Jul 28, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Aug 6, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 27, 2021. On the morning of May 27 a line of storms moved through northwest Missouri, producing some damaging winds, along with some minor flash flooding. In the afternoon the clouds cleared out, and a second round of severe thunderstorms formed, this time bringing some large hail, along with damaging winds.
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2020. Throughout the final few days of the month a mid level trough dug into the central part of the CONUS, and produced several rounds of moderate to heavy rain. Several areas reported well over 6 inches of rain over the 2 day period, with the high values occurring in Johnson County Missouri where almost 10 inches of rain over the 36-48 period was reported. Most of the flooding was minor and little to no damage was rep…
Flash Flood · Sep 28, 2019. Several areas had flash flooding after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell across the area. The worst of the flooding came from Harrisonville, where several business were inundated under several feet of water.
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.
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 Henry 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.