Enter any address in Ripley County, Missouri to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is a significant concern in Ripley County. Between 2024 and 2025, the county experienced numerous flood and flash flood events, totaling 84 incidents recorded by NOAA. For example, torrential rainfall produced flooding in Naylor in July 2025, and a major severe weather outbreak caused flash flooding across the region in May 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $54,363 and an average water depth of 7.0 feet. While Zone X_UNSHADED has fewer claims, the average payout is higher at $84,306, with an average water depth of 3.9 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
36 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Ripley County, Missouri has recorded 84 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 39 flash floods and 45 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 3 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 | Mar 30, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires | Severe Storm | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 19, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 3, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Flood | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Dec 22, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Nov 6, 2024 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Mar 25, 2023 | 15.00K |
| Flood | Mar 4, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 3, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 21, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jul 27, 2025
On the 27th, the Quad State was in the middle of an extended heat wave, with high dew points contributing to a very moist environment. As a band of afternoon thunderstorms took shape in southern portions of the Ozarks, drifting southward into Arkansas, torrential rainfall rates produced flooding in Naylor.
Flood — May 26, 2024
The second major severe weather outbreak for the month occurred on the 26th for the Quad State region. On the synoptic scale, a shortwave trough centered in the middle of the country with a 60 kt mid-level jet moved across northern Arkansas. A weak surface low was moving into SE Missouri during the morning with a secondary low located further northwest. A warm frontal boundary was draped across...
Flash Flood — May 26, 2024
The second major severe weather outbreak for the month occurred on the 26th for the Quad State region. On the synoptic scale, a shortwave trough centered in the middle of the country with a 60 kt mid-level jet moved across northern Arkansas. A weak surface low was moving into SE Missouri during the morning with a secondary low located further northwest. A warm frontal boundary was draped across...
Flood — Nov 6, 2024
Multiple rounds of training heavy rain along a slow moving frontal boundary affected Southern and Eastern Missouri from the 4th through the 6th of November. Western fringes of the WFO Paducah county warning area in Carter County received 4-6 inches of rainfall in this span. Many locations further west and north from West Plains to Hillsboro in Missouri reached 7 to 10 inches of rainfall. Street...
Flood — Mar 25, 2023
A nearly stationary front draped itself from central Texas northeast through the Ohio River Valley and produced multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, some with very heavy rainfall. Scattered showers and thunderstorms resulted in widespread flooding of low water crossings in the hilly terrain of Carter, Wayne, and Bollinger Counties. One to three inches of rain fell across the region wit...
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 Ripley 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 Ripley 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.