215 flood insurance claims·$5.3M paid·6 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 Newton 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 heavy rainfall dominates the flood risk profile in Newton County, Missouri, accounting for 189 events compared to 49 standard flood events and 1 recorded flood fatality over the last thirty years.
Recent events illustrate this recurring hazard. A strong storm system on April 20, 2025, brought heavy rain to an already saturated area, causing multiple local rivers to reach minor to moderate flood stages. Later that year, rounds of severe thunderstorms on June 5–6 and June 7, 2025, produced additional heavy rainfall and flash flooding due to saturated soils.
Property owners and real estate professionals should pay the most attention to locations within FEMA Zone A, which accounts for the vast majority of National Flood Insurance Program claims in the county with 154 filings and an average payout of $33,763 with an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Properties in Zone X, Zone X_UNSHADED, and unmapped areas have also experienced notable claims, averaging between 11 and 28 inches of recorded water depth, indicating that flood risks extend beyond primary designated high-risk zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Newton County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
174 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 9 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 2017, with 62 claims and $1.9M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds 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.
69 NOAA storm reports from Newton County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2019 |
| 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 Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 8, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
238 since 1996: 189 flash floods and 49 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2024 | $18,000 |
| Flood | Mar 24, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 24, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 24, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 · 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 · Jun 6, 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.
Flood · Jun 4, 2025. A very moist airmass led to the development of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall rates during the morning and afternoon of June 4th. Significant flash flooding occurred in and around the city of Marshfield. Additional heavy rainfall caused flooding into the evening and overnight hours with some areas picking up two day totals of 3-5 inches.
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 Newton 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.