1 flood insurance claims·$12,872 paid·6 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 Adams County, North Dakota. 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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Adams County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the North Dakota flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1978, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Apr 22, 2022 |
| Flooding | Mar 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Oct 4, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 1, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 13, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation | Mar 1, 2001 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
4 since 1996: 1 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 22, 2018 | $30,000 |
| Flood | Mar 6, 2009 | $127,000 |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2009 | $42,000 |
| Flood | Jun 6, 2007 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 22, 2018. A moderately unstable but very moist atmosphere was in place over southwest North Dakota when numerous thunderstorms developed in the late afternoon. Initially, large hail was the main threat, with the largest hail being half-dollar size falling in Grant County. The main threat then shifted towards heavy rainfall, with flash flooding occurring near the town of Haynes in Adams County, where US Highway 12 was closed…
Flood · Mar 6, 2009. This devastating flooding continued into April, and in some cases worsened.||Western and central North Dakota experienced a snowy winter of 2008-2009. Bismarck, for example, had the snowiest December on record, which was also the snowiest month ever on record, with 33.3 inches of snow in December 2008. March 2009 was the fifth snowiest month on record with 29.7 inches. For the entire season Bismarck ended up the s…
Flood · Apr 1, 2009. Western and central North Dakota experienced a snowy winter of 2008-2009. Bismarck, for example, had the snowiest December on record, which was also the snowiest month ever on record, with 33.3 inches of snow in December 2008. March 2009 was the fifth snowiest month on record with 29.7 inches. For the entire season Bismarck ended up the second snowiest on record with 100.3 inches. A similar scenario played out all…
Flood · Jun 6, 2007. Thunderstorms followed by showers and then areas of steady rain on June 6 and 7 resulted in flooding in parts of southern North Dakota. Five to six (5 to 6) inches of rain was common over the two day period.
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 Adams 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.