13 flood insurance claims·$311,225 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 Webster 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 dominates Webster County's flood history, driven by frequent heavy rains and severe storm events. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 172 flash flood events resulting in 2 deaths, alongside 89 standard flood events.
Heavy precipitation systems frequently threaten the region, as demonstrated by storms between April 4th and April 6th, 2025. These storms brought 8 to 10 inches of rain southeast of Springfield with localized amounts up to 12 inches, producing significant flash flooding, minor to moderate river flooding, and two flood fatalities in West Plains.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that property damage impacts both designated flood hazard areas and standard zones differently. Zone A properties account for 8 claims with an average payout of $26,194 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X properties account for 4 claims with an average payout of $47,317 and an average recorded water depth of 50 inches. One claim in an unknown zone averaged a $7,039 payout with an average water depth of 3 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in high-risk Zone A, as well as those in Zone X experiencing severe localized water depths, should pay the closest attention to flood risk and mitigation.
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 12 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 2008, with 4 claims and $76,556 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Severe Storms and Flooding and Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Tornado.
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.
98 NOAA storm reports from Webster County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
32 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 23, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Mar 30, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Aug 2, 2013 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
261 since 1996: 172 flash floods and 89 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2025 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2025 | $3,000 |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 24, 2025. Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms occurred from Friday, May 23 through Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Total Rainfall amounts ranged between 2-5 inches, with localized amounts up to 8.6 inches.
Flash Flood · Jun 6, 2025. A round of showers and thunderstorms occurred during the late night hours of June 5th through the morning hours of June 6th. A line of thunderstorms moved into the area from the southwest and caused damaging winds and a tornado. Additional rainfall on June 7th caused flash flooding occurred due to saturated soils.
Flood · Jun 6, 2025. A round of showers and thunderstorms occurred during the late night hours of June 5th through the morning hours of June 6th. A line of thunderstorms moved into the area from the southwest and caused damaging winds and a tornado. Additional rainfall on June 7th caused flash flooding occurred due to saturated soils.
Flash Flood · Jun 4, 2025. A very moist airmass led to the development of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall rates during the morning and afternoon of June 4th. Significant flash flooding occurred in and around the city of Marshfield. Additional heavy rainfall caused flooding into the evening and overnight hours with some areas picking up two day totals of 3-5 inches.
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 Webster 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.