739 flood insurance claims·$10.1M paid·5 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. Louis city, 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 slow-moving summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of St. Louis City, Missouri, accounting for 33 of the last 30 years of recorded flood events and resulting in 1 death alongside 8 general flood events.
Recent events illustrate this recurring hazard. On August 10, slow-moving thunderstorms driven by high precipitable water values and moisture convergence caused flash flooding that covered Interstates 44, 55, 64, 70, and 255 with water. Similarly, on August 12, a continuously back-building thunderstorm triggered flash flood conditions that forced the closure of numerous major interstates due to standing water. Additional heavy rainfall on April 4 left numerous St. Louis metropolitan area roads impassable.
FEMA insurance claims data demonstrates that flood risks extend across multiple zones. Zone A records the highest claim volume at 425 claims with an average payout of $20,315 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. However, properties in Zone X also face significant risk, with 60 claims averaging a $23,143 payout and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties in Zone A and Zone X, particularly where localized heavy rainfall creates severe urban drainage hazards far from mapped river floodways.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
27% of St. Louis city’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
586 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 7 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 280 claims and $4.1M 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.
9 NOAA storm reports from St. Louis city describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 16, 2025 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 25, 2022 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Flooding | Jun 1, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And A Tornado | Sep 11, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
41 since 1996: 33 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 19, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2025 | $300,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Nov 5, 2024 | $60,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2022 | $85.0M · 1 killed |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 19, 2025. A mesoscale convective complex rolled through Missouri during the overnight hours of May 19th. Though central, east-central, and northeast Missouri also experienced severe weather, the bulk of the event occurred in southeast Missouri. There, 7 confirmed tornadoes touched down. Luckily no injuries or fatalities were reported. Further north, the St. Louis metropolitan area was hammered with up to 2 inch hail.
Flash Flood · Aug 12, 2025. During the afternoon of August 12th, thunderstorms developed along an axis of weak surface convergence. The environment they existed in was conducive for gusty winds and heavy rain. In St. Louis City, a continuously back-building thunderstorm caused flash flood conditions with numerous major interstates being closed from the amount of water atop them.
Flash Flood · Aug 10, 2025. Conditions were primed for flash flooding during the afternoon of August 10th. With very little wind shear, very high precipitable water values, and an area of moisture convergence, thunderstorms were able to develop and move very slowly as they poured out. This is what happened over the St. Louis metropolitan area. Flash flooding occurred as a result, with Interstates 44, 55, 64, 70, and 255 all suffering from wa…
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.
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. Louis city 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.