2 flood insurance claims·$50,573 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 Shelby 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 summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Shelby County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 24 flash flood events compared to 4 general flood events.
Recent occurrences illustrate these risks. In May 2019, storms developing along an outflow boundary produced multiple instances of flash flooding across the region. A slow-moving storm complex in August 2016 dropped rainfall amounts up to 6 inches with locally higher amounts, causing flash flooding over portions of north central and central Missouri.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate historical claims are concentrated in Zone A, which recorded 2 averages of 1 inch of recorded water depth per claim with an average payout of $25,287. Properties located within Zone A and areas prone to sudden thunderstorm runoff should pay the closest attention to these risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 1 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.
1 NOAA storm reports from Shelby County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
26 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 29, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Sep 9, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 29, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 12, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
28 since 1996: 24 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 17, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 24, 2010 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 28, 2019. Storms developed along an old outflow boundary. Several of the storms produced severe weather including large hail and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · May 26, 2019. Storms developed along an old outflow boundary across portions of northeast Missouri and west central Illinois. There were numerous reports of damaging winds and several reports of flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jun 14, 2017. Outflow boundary moved through region and was the trigger for multicell thunderstorm complex. There were numerous reports of damaging winds with these storms.
Flash Flood · Jul 6, 2016. Strong to severe storms developed across the region. Some of the storms produced large hail and damaging winds.
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 Shelby 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.