368 flood insurance claims·$12.9M paid·10 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 Platte 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.
River flooding and flash flooding from storms dominate Platte County, supported by NOAA records showing 61 flood events and 50 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall routinely inundates local roadways, as occurred after storms moved through the Kansas City Metro in April 2021. Major regional events are also driven by seasonal conditions, such as the extended Missouri River flooding in spring and summer 2019 caused by heavy late winter precipitation, snowmelt, and continuous heavy rains.
Federal flood insurance data demonstrates that properties inside high-risk areas face the most severe financial and physical impacts. Zone A properties account for the vast majority of claims with 249 filings, an average payout of $57,727, and an average recorded water depth of 10 inches. Properties in moderate-to-low risk zones also experience water damage, including 55 claims in unshaded Zone X with an average payout of $15,062 and an average water depth of 7 inches, and 36 claims in shaded Zone X with an average payout of $12,807 and an average water depth of 4 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A near rivers and low-lying areas, while recognizing that properties in Zone X still face meaningful flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
27% of Platte County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
340 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 8 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 1993, with 113 claims and $8.6M paid, the year of Severe Storms & 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.
22 NOAA storm reports from Platte County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
26 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 11, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 15, 2015 |
| Flooding | Jun 1, 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
111 since 1996: 50 flash floods and 61 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2021 | — |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | $100,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 22, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 28, 2021. After heavy rain moved through the Kansas City Metro several local roadways were inundated with running water.
Flood · May 21, 2019. A line of generally sub-severe thunderstorms moved through the region during the early morning hours on May 21. These storms didn't produce any severe winds or hail, but as they moved east wake low winds produced damage consisting of several tree limbs down as well as power lines and power poles. The storms then went on to produce torrential rains which caused areas of flooding.
Flood · Mar 14, 2019. Several months of heavy snow across the Northern Plains set the stage for a significant and catastrophic flooding event when temperatures warmed and heavy rain fell across Nebraska and the Dakotas. While the more significant damage occurred across eastern Nebraska several counties along the Missouri River and Northern and Central Missouri also saw some significant impacts. Numerous locations along the Missouri Riv…
Flood · May 1, 2019. Heavy late winter and spring precipitation, mixed with a loaded snow pack caused the Missouri River to flood in March. Consistent heavy rains continued the Missouri River flooding into and through May. Some locations along the Missouri River were in major flood for several weeks as heavy rains continued.
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 Platte 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.