4 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 St. Clair 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 intense storms dominates the historical flood profile of St. Clair County, Missouri, accounting for the vast majority of recorded events over the last 30 years alongside periodic river flooding. NOAA records show 52 flash flood events resulting in 2 deaths, contrasted with 11 general flood events during this timeframe.
Recent events illustrate how heavy rainfall interacts with saturated soils and slow-moving weather systems. For example, a strong storm system on April 20, 2025, brought heavy rain on top of prior precipitation, pushing multiple area rivers into minor and moderate flood stages. Similarly, heavy rainfall from April 26 to 27, 2024, produced major flooding along the Marmaton and Little Osage River basins after 2 to 4 inches of rain fell on saturated ground. Additional events, such as the multi-day storm sequence on July 17, 2021, and the rainfall on March 7, 2024, frequently led to localized flooding of low-water crossings.
Homeowners and real estate professionals should pay the closest attention to properties situated near rivers, small creeks, streams, and low-water crossings, as these areas are most susceptible to rapid runoff and river overflow during sustained or repeated heavy rainfall.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
13 NOAA storm reports from St. Clair County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
24 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 4 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 | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 17, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
63 since 1996: 52 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Apr 26, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Mar 7, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2020 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Jul 5, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 20, 2025. A strong storm system moved through the area on Sunday April 20th, 2025. This system brought tornadoes, damaging wind, large hail and heavy rain. The heavy rainfall led to flooding as the area had already received heavy rainfall from storms earlier in the week. Multiple area rivers reached minor to moderate flood stage due to heavy runoff.
Flood · Apr 26, 2024. Flooding of small creeks and streams and major flooding along the Marmaton and Little Osage River basins occurred thanks to heavy rainfall. From 2 to 4 inches of rainfall on already saturated ground from previous rainfall in the 25th. Isolated severe storms produced brief tornadoes in Vernon and St. Clair Counties.
Flood · Mar 7, 2024. A swath of 2 to 4 inches of rainfall fell from March 7th to March 8th to the northwest of Springfield. Minor flooding of low water crossings occurred.
Flash Flood · Jul 17, 2021. Multiple rounds of showers and storms affected the region from the afternoon of the 15th to the morning of the 18th as a slow moving front interacted with several upper level disturbances. While instability and moisture were near to below seasonal normals, training of storms over already saturated areas led to localized flooding of low water crossings. Flooding mainly occurred during the 16th and 17th.
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 St. Clair 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.