44 flood insurance claims·$307,126 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 Johnson 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.
River and general flooding dominate the historical record in Johnson County, accounting for 94 events and 1 death over the past 30 years, alongside 47 flash flood events. Heavy rainfall events drive this risk, such as in July 2020 when a mid-level trough produced several rounds of moderate to heavy rain, resulting in almost 10 inches of rain over a 36 to 48-hour period that closed several roads for a few days. Minor flash flooding also occurred on May 28, 2020, causing brief road closures in the area.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that risk extends across multiple zones. Properties located in Zone A recorded 14 claims with an average payout of $23,516 and an average recorded water depth of 21 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X recorded 20 claims with an average payout of $8,637 and an average recorded water depth of 35 inches, and Zone X_UNSHADED properties recorded 5 claims with an average payout of $4,866 and an average recorded water depth of 57 inches. Zone UNKNOWN properties accounted for 5 claims with an average payout of $750 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated within mapped high-risk riverine areas like Zone A, as well as properties in Zone X and Zone X_UNSHADED where significant average water depths and payouts have historically occurred.
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 31 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 2008, with 8 claims and $149,683 paid, the year of Severe Storms and 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.
19 NOAA storm reports from Johnson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
21 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 Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 1, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 8, 2007 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Mar 8, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
141 since 1996: 47 flash floods and 94 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Jul 30, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Jul 29, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 30, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 28, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jul 28, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 30, 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…
Flood · Jul 30, 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…
Flood · Jul 29, 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…
Flood · May 28, 2020. On the morning of May 28 there was some minor flash flooding, causing some roads in the area to shut down briefly.
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 Johnson 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.