25 flood insurance claims·$215,665 paid·1 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 Iowa County, Wisconsin. 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 driven by summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Iowa County, Wisconsin, supported by 14 flash flood events and 10 general flood events recorded over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall events are frequently tied to persistent stationary fronts moving across the region. For instance, repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms along a warm front resulted in rural flooding on July 2, 2024. Earlier, on October 22, 2020, heavy rain totaling 4 to 6 inches fell during a persistent surge of moist air, flooding low-lying areas and creeks and causing washed out and closed roads. More recently, severe thunderstorms produced flooding on June 23, 2025, and July 11, 2025.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, indicating that flood risk extends beyond designated high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 15 claims with an average payout of $15,580 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X recorded 5 claims with an average payout of $21,656 and an average water depth of 5 inches, and Zone X unshaded recorded 4 claims averaging $20,699 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties in both regulated high-risk zones and moderate-to-low risk zones where localized intense rainfall can still produce significant property damage and standing water.
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 2008, with 7 claims and $137,433 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and 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.
17 NOAA storm reports from Iowa County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud | Jul 19, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jun 20, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 5, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 18, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 7, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 26, 2000 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
24 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 23, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Jul 11, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Jul 2, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 22, 2020 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Aug 21, 2018 | $30,000 |
| Flood | Feb 20, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 23, 2025. A couple strong to severe lines of thunderstorms moved across southern WI along a stationary front. Damaging winds and flooding occurred.
Flood · Jul 11, 2025. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms tracked along a stationary front over far southern WI. Significant damaging wind gusts and flooding occurred.
Flood · Jul 2, 2024. Repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms with a warm front eventually resulted in rural flooding.
Flash Flood · Oct 22, 2020. A persistent surge of relatively moist and unstable air north of a stationary front brought heavy rain and flash flooding to portions of south central WI. 4-6 inches of rain fell. Various creeks or low lying areas flooded and resulted in some flooded, washed out, and closed roads.
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 Iowa 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.