94 flood insurance claims·$2.8M paid·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. Francois 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. Francois County, with NOAA records documenting 28 flash flood events compared to 2 general floods resulting in 1 death over the last 30 years. Recent impacts include heavy rainfall and widespread flash flooding from training storms in July 2021, and severe weather driven by a stationary front in April 2025.
Federal insurance data underscores the significant vulnerability of properties located in high-risk areas. Specifically, Zone A properties account for the vast majority of claims with 78 filings averaging $38,285 per payout and an average recorded water depth of 20 inches. In contrast, Zone X properties recorded 10 claims with an average payout of $24,285 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, while small numbers of claims occurred in unshaded Zone X, shaded Zone X, and unknown zones with average depths ranging from 0 to 6 inches.
Homeowners and real estate professionals should pay the most attention to properties situated within FEMA Zone A, where historical payouts and water depths are substantially higher than in any other zone.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4% of St. Francois County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
81 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 17 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 13 claims and $181,324 paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding and Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and 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.
7 NOAA storm reports from St. Francois County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 8, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 17, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 8, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Nov 30, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 28 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | $60,000 |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 3, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 4, 2025. A stationary front over southern Missouri along with ample mid-level forcing, moisture, and efficient rain processes resulted in flooding across portions of east-central and southeast Missouri. Numerous roads across the St. Louis metropolitan area were impassable due to the heavy rainfall.
Flood · Apr 4, 2025. A stationary front over southern Missouri along with ample mid-level forcing, moisture, and efficient rain processes resulted in flooding across portions of east-central and southeast Missouri. Numerous roads across the St. Louis metropolitan area were impassable due to the heavy rainfall.
Flash Flood · Aug 3, 2023. Thunderstorms developed over central Missouri during the early evening hours. They moved east/southeast through the overnight hours. Numerous large hail and damaging wind reports were received. During the late evening through overnight hours, widespread heavy rain fell causing flash flooding. There was fairly widespread 1-3 rainfall totals, with isolated 6-8+ in central Missouri and south-central Illinois.
Flash Flood · Jul 15, 2021. Training storms moved through portions of southeast Missouri and southwestern Illinois with up to 4 inches of rain in a short amount of time. There were several reports of flash flooding.
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. Francois 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.