Enter any address in Howell County, Missouri to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Howell County. Between 1996 and 2021, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 195 flash flood events and 107 general flood events. Recent examples include localized flash flooding on June 29th, 2025, and significant flash flooding and river flooding between April 4th and April 6th, 2025, which resulted in two fatalities in West Plains.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $45,092 and an average water depth of 2.1 feet. Properties in Zone X also have a history of claims, averaging $12,869 payouts and 1.3 feet of water depth. Homeowners in Zone A, Zone X, and those located near rivers or in areas without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
97 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Howell County, Missouri has recorded 302 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 195 flash floods and 107 river or area floods. The county has received 25 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2025)
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, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Flood | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Dec 23, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 500.00K (2 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Apr 2, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2025 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 29, 2025
Thunderstorms occurred during the early morning hours across central Missouri, producing localized flash flooding. A larger complex of thunderstorms with severe winds moved through southwest Missouri during the afternoon and evening hours of June 29th, producing widespread damaging winds from Dade County, southeast into the Springfield metro area and then southeast into Taney County. Widespread...
Flood — Apr 27, 2025
Showers and thunderstorms produced between 1 and 3 inches of rainfall across portions of the Ozarks which caused localized flooding.
Flash Flood — Apr 27, 2025
Showers and thunderstorms produced between 1 and 3 inches of rainfall across portions of the Ozarks which caused localized flooding.
Flash Flood — Apr 20, 2025
A strong storm system moved through the area on Sunday April 20th, 2025. This system brought tornadoes, damaging wind, large hail and heavy rain. The heavy rainfall led to flooding as the area had already received heavy rainfall from storms earlier in the week. Multiple area rivers reached minor to moderate flood stage due to heavy runoff.
Flood — Apr 19, 2025
Slow moving storms produced heavy rainfall across portions of the Ozarks causing flooding of multiple low water areas. The initial storms that develop the evening of the 18th were able to take advantage at limited shear and instability to produce a brief EF0 tornado and localized wind damage.
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 Howell 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 Howell 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.