61 flood insurance claims·$647,366 paid·17 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 McHenry 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.
River overflow and seasonal snowmelt dominate the flood profile of McHenry County, supported by 10 historical flood events and 7 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years. Rapid spring snowmelt frequently strains local infrastructure and waterways. A notable example occurred in April, May, and June 2013, when rapid snowmelt and upstream dam releases caused flooding along the Souris (Mouse) River and Des Lacs River, damaging county and township roads and causing homes to take on water. Spring snowmelt conditions returned in April 2023, driven by a record deep snowpack and fast melting that caused widespread flooding and infrastructure damage across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that property owners in specific zones face distinct financial and physical impacts. Properties in Zone A recorded 23 claims with an average payout of $12,043 and an average water depth of 17 inches. Zone X properties recorded 11 claims with an average payout of $32,130 and an average water depth of 7 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN recorded 23 claims with an average payout of $3,326 and an average water depth of 2 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches. Residents located near rivers and those situated in Zone A or Zone X should pay the closest attention to flood risks given these historical claim and depth averages.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
15% of McHenry County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
27 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 9 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 1979, with 36 claims and $61,495 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Snowmelt & 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.
10 NOAA storm reports from McHenry County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the North Dakota flood stories →
32 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 17 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Apr 10, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Apr 22, 2022 |
| Flooding | Mar 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 25, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 17, 2013 |
| Flooding | Apr 22, 2013 |
| Flooding | Feb 14, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 1, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
17 since 1996: 7 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 16, 2023 | $140,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2013 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2013 | $45,000 |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2013 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2011 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2011 | $5.0M |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 16, 2023. The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding. In addition, during the morning hours of April 16, a flood death (direct) occurred as a 54 year old female was driving a 2004 Ford Escape along ND Highway 66 near the intersection of 47th Avenue NE, to the northwe…
Flood · May 1, 2013. A late season rapid snow melt caused flooding along the Souris (Mouse) River and Des Lacs River through north central North Dakota. Additionally, there were necessary releases from upstream dams in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada, due to rapid snow melt there. Homes in the Project Road area near Burlington took on water. Many county and township roads near the river were damaged. This flood began in April an…
Flood · Jun 1, 2013. A late season rapid snow melt caused flooding along the Souris (Mouse) River and Des Lacs River through north central North Dakota. Additionally, there were necessary releases from upstream dams in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada, due to rapid snow melt there and additional heavy rains in May and early June. This caused the flooding to continue. Homes in the Project Road area near Burlington took on water. M…
Flood · Apr 1, 2013. A late season rapid snow melt caused flooding along the Souris (Mouse) River and Des Lacs River through north central North Dakota. Additionally, there were necessary releases from upstream dams in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada, due to rapid snow melt there. Homes in the Project Road area near Burlington took on water. Many county and township roads near the river were damaged. This flood continued through…
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 McHenry 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.