Enter any address in Knox County, Ohio to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Knox County. Recent events include flash flooding on June 5, 2024, associated with strong thunderstorms, and flash flooding on July 3, 2019, following multiple rounds of heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data for Knox County shows a significant number of claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $2,628 and an average water depth of 1.4 feet. Claims in Zone X_UNSHADED also indicate potential flood risk, with an average payout of $2,862 and an average water depth of 2.9 feet, despite being designated as moderate flood risk. Homeowners in Zone A, Zone X_UNSHADED, and those in areas with unknown flood zone designations should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
13 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Knox County, Ohio has recorded 31 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 20 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 13 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike | Severe Storm | Sep 14, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 27, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 18, 2004 |
| Power Outage | Other | Aug 14, 2003 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 28, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2019 | 2.00K |
| Flood | Feb 15, 2018 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Apr 3, 2018 | 4.00K |
| Flood | Nov 18, 2017 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 13, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 9, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 8, 2013 | 200.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 5, 2024
Knox County resided in the warm and moist sector during the early through late evening of the 5th as a cold front swept eastward from northwestern IN and the Lower Ohio Valley to far-western OH and far-southeastern IN. Ahead of the cold front, scattered thunderstorms, including supercells, developed along a surface trough axis and resided in an environment favorable for tornadic supercells. Thi...
Flood — Mar 28, 2020
A warm front over central Ohio on the morning of Saturday March 28, 2020 was the focus for several rounds of elevated thunderstorms through the early afternoon hours. The main area for these thunderstorms were the US 30 and I-76 corridors through the morning and early afternoon hours as storms remained parallel to the warm front and moved with the 850 mb jet. These storms well utilized the stee...
Flood — May 18, 2020
A slow moving upper low over Illinois combined with a conveyor belt of humid air over Ohio supported widespread showers and thunderstorms over southern and central Ohio on the afternoon and evening of the 18th. The weather conditions supported not severe weather but heavy rain. Rain rates of 2 inches an hour or higher were observed with storms that trained, or repeated over the same areas. Ove...
Flash Flood — Jul 3, 2019
Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms moved across central Ohio in the afternoon and evening of July 2nd. By the early morning hours of July 3, a third round of showers moved along the US 30 corridor mainly over Marion, Morrow, Knox and counties further south. Rainfall of 1.5 to 2.5 inches across Marion, Morrow, and Knox Counties.
Flood — Feb 15, 2018
An active and warm weather pattern in February produced widespread minor flooding across the area. Starting during the second week of February a blocking pattern developed keeping a warm ridge of high pressure over the eastern U.S. with a flow from the Gulf of Mexico into the Ohio River Valley. The heaviest rains fell near and along a quasi-stationary front that lingered between northern Indian...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Knox County, Ohio:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Knox County, Ohio that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.