Cowley County flood history
Kansas · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 142 flood insurance claims in Cowley County, Kansas since 1978. The NFIP paid $2.1 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 1998, with 78.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 10 claims, and the average paid claim was $57,174.
15% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 0.3% of homes in Cowley County, Kansas had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (44 of 16,471 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 8% (34 of 451).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 14 flood-related disaster declarations covering Cowley County, Kansas. The most recent was DR-4943-KS (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared September 1, 2026.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9 | $570,830 |
| 2017 | 1 | $908 |
| 2010 | 1 | $0 |
| 2008 | 2 | $2,655 |
| 2007 | 6 | $133,585 |
| 2002 | 1 | $3,237 |
| 2000 | 1 | $0 |
| 1998 | 78 | $1.1 million |
| 1995 | 19 | $268,249 |
| 1993 | 8 | $8,762 |
| 1989 | 2 | $11,694 |
| 1986 | 4 | $7,108 |
| 1985 | 1 | $0 |
| 1982 | 4 | $5,197 |
| 1981 | 2 | $3,119 |
| 1979 | 3 | $12,752 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorms | 2007 | 6 | $133,585 |
| Hurricane Ike | 2008 | 2 | $2,655 |
| Flooding | 1986 | 2 | $0 |
| Midwest Flooding | 1993 | 1 | $0 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 44 residential NFIP policies in Cowley County, against 16,471 residential buildings (0.3%). Of the 451 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 34 have an NFIP policy (8%). 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-4943-KS | Sep 1, 2026 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4891-KS | Sep 11, 2025 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4449-KS | Jun 20, 2019 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides | No |
| EM-3412-KS | May 28, 2019 | Tornadoes and Flooding | No |
| DR-4417-KS | Feb 25, 2019 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4287-KS | Oct 20, 2016 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-4230-KS | Jul 20, 2015 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4150-KS | Oct 22, 2013 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-1849-KS | Jun 25, 2009 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | No |
| DR-1808-KS | Oct 31, 2008 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | No |
| DR-1776-KS | Jul 9, 2008 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes | No |
| DR-1711-KS | Jul 2, 2007 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1699-KS | May 6, 2007 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1579-KS | Feb 8, 2005 | Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding | No |
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 Kansas.
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.
- 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.