Enter any address in McDonald County, Missouri to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in McDonald County. Between April 4th and April 6th, 2025, widespread heavy rainfall caused significant flash flooding and minor to moderate river flooding across south central Missouri, resulting in fatalities.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a substantial number of claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $27,913 and an average water depth of 12.8 feet. Claims in Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded also indicate flood risk, with higher average payouts in Zone X ($65,063) despite shallower average water depths (5.5 feet).
Residents in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded, should pay close attention to flood risk. Properties located near rivers or in low-lying areas are particularly susceptible to the impacts of flash flooding events.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
79 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
McDonald County, Missouri has recorded 223 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 154 flash floods and 69 river or area floods. The county has received 26 federal disaster declarations, 5 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 | Apr 29, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2024 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 2, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 19, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 30, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 23, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 7, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 7, 2024 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 30, 2025
Slow moving showers and storms moved over portions of the Ozarks that had received multiple rounds of heavy rainfall over the preceding week. This lead to flooding on several low water crossings and caused some rivers to reach minor flood stage.
Flash Flood — Sep 23, 2025
A front approached southern Missouri during the afternoon and evening hours of September 23. Several thunderstorms developed and moved across the area. Some storms produced damaging winds in Dallas and Webster counties. Several instances of flash flooding occurred across McDonald, Barry and Taney counties where 2-3 inches of rainfall occurred.
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.
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 — May 19, 2025
A strong storm system pushed into the area during the afternoon of May 19, 2025 and persisted into the evening and overnight hours.�� This system produced 8 tornadoes across the area, along with widespread wind damage and between 1 and 5 inches of rainfall.�� The intense rainfall led to some localized flash flooding, areal flooding and river flooding.
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 McDonald 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 McDonald 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.