22 flood insurance claims·$149,444 paid
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 Madison County, Ohio. 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.
Over the last 30 years, standard riverine and river-related flooding has dominated Madison County, accounting for 25 out of 35 total recorded flood events in the NOAA Storm Events Database, alongside 10 flash flood events. These flood incidents are frequently driven by low pressure systems moving through the Ohio Valley that drop heavy rainfall across the region. For example, a system on February 18, 2022, brought widespread flooding from 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain, while severe storms on March 20, 2020, produced locally heavy rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood claims are distributed across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 9 claims at an average payout of $6,577 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X recorded 7 claims with an average payout of $14,844 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Properties with unknown zone designations logged 5 claims averaging $4,184 with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, and Zone X Shaded recorded 1 claim with a $0 payout and 0 inches of recorded water depth. Homeowners and real estate agents with properties located in Zone A, Zone X, or areas with unknown flood zone designations should pay the closest attention to these risks.
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 2 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 1997, with 6 claims and $30,055 paid.
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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Madison County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Ohio flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1974.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike | Sep 14, 2008 |
| Record Snow And Near Record Snow | Mar 7, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 27, 2004 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record/near Record Snow | Feb 14, 2003 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | May 28, 1990 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
35 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 25 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Oct 7, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Mar 3, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Feb 18, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Aug 12, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 20, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 20, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Jul 6, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Oct 7, 2025. A low pressure system moving through the Ohio Valley brought locally heavy rain to the region.
Flood · Mar 3, 2023. Showers and scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours ahead of a strong low pressure system moving through the Ohio Valley.
Flood · Feb 18, 2022. Rain overspread the region through the day ahead of a low pressure system moving through the Ohio Valley. Rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 2.5 inches produced widespread flooding.
Flood · Aug 12, 2021. Isolated thunderstorms developed along a slow moving boundary in central Ohio.
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 Madison 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.