Howard County flood history
Missouri · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 69 flood insurance claims in Howard County, Missouri since 1978. The NFIP paid $858,615 on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 1993, with 22, mostly from Midwest Flooding.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 11 claims, and the average paid claim was $52,577.
18% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 0.2% of homes in Howard County, Missouri had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (9 of 5,428 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 5% (7 of 128).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 15 flood-related disaster declarations covering Howard County, Missouri. The most recent was DR-4924-MO (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared June 30, 2026.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | $45,695 |
| 2021 | 3 | $8,110 |
| 2019 | 7 | $261,659 |
| 2014 | 1 | $0 |
| 2013 | 3 | $3,264 |
| 2011 | 1 | $1,849 |
| 1998 | 2 | $11,679 |
| 1995 | 6 | $13,835 |
| 1994 | 7 | $80,658 |
| 1993 | 22 | $416,345 |
| 1990 | 1 | $0 |
| 1986 | 4 | $9,367 |
| 1985 | 1 | $0 |
| 1984 | 2 | $0 |
| 1983 | 1 | $0 |
| 1981 | 7 | $6,155 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Flooding | 1993 | 19 | $382,659 |
| Flooding | 1994 | 5 | $72,658 |
| Flooding | 1995 | 6 | $13,835 |
| Flooding | 1998 | 2 | $11,679 |
| Flooding | 1986 | 4 | $9,367 |
| Late spring storms | 2011 | 1 | $1,849 |
| Flooding | 1990 | 1 | $0 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 9 residential NFIP policies in Howard County, against 5,428 residential buildings (0.2%). Of the 128 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 7 have an NFIP policy (5%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4924-MO | Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4612-MO | Sep 1, 2021 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4451-MO | Jul 9, 2019 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| EM-3374-MO | Jan 2, 2016 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4130-MO | Jul 18, 2013 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4012-MO | Aug 12, 2011 | Flooding | Yes |
| EM-3325-MO | Jun 30, 2011 | Flooding | No |
| DR-1934-MO | Aug 17, 2010 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | No |
| DR-1809-MO | Nov 13, 2008 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Tornado | Yes |
| DR-1773-MO | Jun 25, 2008 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1749-MO | Mar 19, 2008 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1708-MO | Jun 11, 2007 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1631-MO | Mar 16, 2006 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1463-MO | May 6, 2003 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1412-MO | May 6, 2002 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding | Yes |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of Missouri.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- NFIP Redacted Policies (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP policies in force on June 30, 2026 (a policy counts if its term covers that date and it wasn't cancelled), downloaded 2026-10-08. Policy counts are FEMA's insured units, so a condominium association policy counts each unit. Costs are FEMA's "policy cost" (premium plus reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge) for single-family homes only. Policies FEMA's data doesn't place in a county count toward the state only.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.