34 flood insurance claims·$657,235 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 Lawrence 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 intense storms dominates the historical flood profile of Lawrence County, supported by 112 recorded flash flood events and 54 general flood events over the last 30 years, resulting in a combined total of four deaths.
Recent history demonstrates this vulnerability. An event in April 2025 brought multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms to southern Missouri, producing localized rainfall amounts up to 12 inches southeast of Springfield, significant flash flooding, and minor to moderate river flooding.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties in Special Flood Hazard Area Zone A, which accounts for the highest volume of NFIP claims (20 claims averaging $19,049 with an average recorded water depth of 7 inches). However, properties outside designated high-risk zones also face financial exposure; Zone X_SHADED recorded claims averaging $39,017, Zone X recorded claims averaging $22,415, and a single claim in Zone X_UNSHADED reached an average payout of $82,079.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Lawrence County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
25 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 6 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 2021, with 18 claims and $423,081 paid.
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.
60 NOAA storm reports from Lawrence County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 8, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 17, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
166 since 1996: 112 flash floods and 54 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 20, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 7, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 25, 2025. Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms occurred from Friday, May 23 through Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Total Rainfall amounts ranged between 2-5 inches, with localized amounts up to 8.6 inches.
Flash Flood · Sep 20, 2025. A corridor of thunderstorms from Neosho to Cassville to Branson occurred during the evening of September 20th. These thunderstorms moved over the same areas causing damaging winds and flash flooding. Up to 6 inches of rainfall occurred over a 12 hour period across portions of Barry County.
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 · Jun 7, 2025. A round of showers and thunderstorms occurred during the late night hours of June 5th through the morning hours of June 6th. A line of thunderstorms moved into the area from the southwest and caused damaging winds and a tornado. Additional rainfall on June 7th caused flash flooding occurred due to saturated soils.
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 Lawrence 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.