74 flood insurance claims·$1.5M paid·2 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 St. Croix 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 from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of St. Croix County. According to the NOAA Storm Events Database over the last 30 years, the county recorded 16 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, alongside 3 general flood events. Recent severe incidents include a flash flood in April 2019 driven by high rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour near River Falls, and a slow-moving thunderstorm complex in June 2020. Another notable flash flood occurred in July 2015 when storms produced rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour.
Federal insurance records show that flood risks extend beyond high-risk areas. National Flood Insurance Program data indicates that Zone A properties experienced 30 claims with an average payout of $49,457 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X recorded 29 claims with an average payout of $20,598 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Smaller numbers of claims were filed in Zone UNKNOWN, Zone X_UNSHADED, and Zone X_SHADED.
Homeowners and real estate professionals should pay the closest attention to properties in both high-risk Zone A and moderate-to-low risk Zone X, as both zones have accumulated significant claim histories and property damage.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
21% of St. Croix County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
38 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 3 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 2020, with 18 claims and $700,910 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.
9 NOAA storm reports from St. Croix County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Wisconsin flood stories →
11 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jun 20, 2013 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Sep 2, 2002 |
| Flooding, Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Severe Storms,straigh Line Winds, Tornadoes,rain,and Floodi | Jun 18, 1998 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Jun 7, 1993 |
| Drought | Jun 17, 1976 |
| Flooding | May 1, 1969 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 16 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2020 | $8.0M · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Apr 17, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2015 | $360,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2013 | $125,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2013 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2010 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 29, 2020. During the evening of Sunday, June 28th, a complex of thunderstorms that developed across Iowa previously, moved slowly northward across southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin before stalling Monday morning. During the onset of the heavier rainfall, a few storms caused wind damage near Tainter Lake and Colfax, but most of the damage was minor with a few large tree limbs and power lines blown down. ||Deep moistur…
Flash Flood · Apr 17, 2019. During the morning of Wednesday, April 17th, a large area of showers developed across southern Minnesota. Several embedded thunderstorms developed after sunrise and moved into west central Wisconsin. A very anomalous moist atmosphere was in place and rainfall was very efficient. One storm moved from Hastings Minnesota, and into west central Wisconsin near River Falls. Rainfall rates were high, and some observers a…
Flash Flood · Jul 6, 2015. The evening of Sunday, July 5th, a line of thunderstorms developed along a frontal boundary from west central to northeast Minnesota. By 2 to 3 am CST, numerous thunderstorms began to develop in east central Minnesota, ahead of the main line. As additional thunderstorms congealed with the main line, and deep moisture continued to surge toward western Wisconsin, the added effect of high precipitable water values r…
Flash Flood · Jun 21, 2013. Severe thunderstorms in Minnesota moved into west central Wisconsin and produced some damaging winds, torrential rainfall and hail. ||Up to 2.5 inches of rain fell in a 30 minute period in portions of west central Wisconsin causing roads and bridges to be flooded. Responders rescued people in vehicles that were disabled due to the flood waters in the Hudson and Roberts areas. No injuries were reported. Numerous to…
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 St. Croix 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.