45 flood insurance claims·$335,444 paid·3 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 Pettis 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 driven by heavy summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Pettis County, Missouri, accounting for 30 out of 35 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 5 general flood events.
Severe storms have caused significant localized damage across the area. For example, during a flash flood event in September 2019, 3 to 5 inches of rainfall inundated several businesses under several feet of water. In another event in August 2016, training thunderstorms dropped 4 to 7 inches of rain—with some locations receiving well over 8 inches—leading to road closures and structural damage.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims concentrated heavily in specific zones. Zone A accounts for 24 claims with an average payout of $8,387 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Meanwhile, Zone X properties have experienced higher severity, with 4 claims averaging $78,601 in payouts and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches, and 13 unshaded Zone X claims averaging $6,058 with an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in Zone A and Zone X designations should pay the closest attention to these localized flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
37% of Pettis County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
38 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 5 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 2022, with 5 claims and $60,168 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.
9 NOAA storm reports from Pettis County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 19, 2011 |
| 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 30, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
35 since 1996: 30 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 28, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2016 | — |
| Flood | Dec 28, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 3, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2010 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Sep 28, 2019. Several areas had flash flooding after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell across the area. The worst of the flooding came from Harrisonville, where several business were inundated under several feet of water.
Flash Flood · Aug 1, 2016. On the morning of August 1, 2016 a complex of thunderstorms formed across portions of northern and central Missouri. These storms trained over the same area for several hours resulting in 4 to 7 inches of rain across much of the area. Some locations saw well over 8 inches of rain over a few hour period on the morning of August 1. While most of the flooding was minor, resulting in some road closures, there was some…
Flood · Dec 28, 2015. Preceding the winter storm several inches of rain fell across western and central Missouri, causing a few roads to become covered in water.
Flash Flood · Jul 1, 2015. Several rounds of severe thunderstorms developed during the early morning hours and during the afternoon and evening hours of July 1st. Within a northwest flow pattern, extreme instability developed. As a shortwave tracked southeast over the region, increasing mid to upper level winds allowed for strong shear to develop. The greatest combination of instability and shear occurred during the afternoon and evening ho…
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 Pettis 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.