Enter any address in Perry County, Missouri to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow along the Mississippi River is the dominant flood character for Perry County. Recent events in May and July 2024 illustrate this, with elevated river levels on the Mississippi causing minor flooding. These events were influenced by above-normal rainfall in upstream areas and local precipitation, impacting low-lying agricultural areas.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A, which are typically areas with higher flood risk, have experienced the most claims. These claims averaged over $19,000 with an average water depth of 3.0 feet. While properties in Zone X, generally considered moderate flood risk, have had fewer claims, their average payout was higher at nearly $24,000, with an average water depth of 0.2 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those with properties located near the Mississippi River, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
25 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Perry County, Missouri has recorded 82 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 30 flash floods and 52 river or area floods. The county has received 29 federal disaster declarations, 6 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 Wildfires | Severe Storm | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 29, 2023 |
| 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, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 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, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 29, 2013 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 30, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 28, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 4, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 25, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 7, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 2, 2019 | 20.00K |
Flood — Apr 30, 2024
Above normal rainfall in much of Missouri, Illinois, and Southeast Iowa for April led to elevated river levels by the end of the month on the Mississippi River. The flood stage at Chester was exceeded just before the end of the month, continuing into May.
Flood — May 28, 2024
Recent local rainfall along with the arrival of upstream elevated flows resulted in the Mississippi River temporarily rising into minor flood late in the month at Chester.
Flood — Jul 4, 2024
Elevated water levels flowing down the Mississippi River from locations north of the Quad State resulted in minor flooding on the Mississippi in Southeast Missouri from early to mid July. Impacts were mostly limited to low-lying agricultural areas.
Flood — May 1, 2024
Above normal April rainfall in much of Missouri, Illinois, and Southeast Iowa led to elevated river levels early May on the Mississippi River. The flood stage at Chester was exceeded just before the beginning of April, while Cape Girardeau and Thebes reached minor flood in early May, albeit for a short duration at Thebes. Rainy weather May 5th-8th and 14th-17th extended minor flood conditions a...
Flash Flood — Jun 30, 2020
The combination of very weak flow aloft and an anomalously unstable and moist environment along a residual outflow boundary promoted the development of thunderstorms across the mid Mississippi and lower Ohio Valleys through the late afternoon into mid evening. A weak shortwave slowly advanced eastward along the bootheel of Missouri, while a weak impulse moved southeast from the northern border ...
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 Perry 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 Perry 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.