Traverse County flood history
Minnesota · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 146 flood insurance claims in Traverse County, Minnesota since 1978. The NFIP paid $1.1 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 1997, with 45, mostly from Flooding.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 5 claims, and the average paid claim was $28,192.
36% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 1.0% of homes in Traverse County, Minnesota had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (22 of 2,219 residential buildings).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 11 flood-related disaster declarations covering Traverse County, Minnesota. The most recent was DR-4722-MN (Severe Storms and Flooding), declared July 19, 2023.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4 | $136,809 |
| 2019 | 1 | $4,151 |
| 2011 | 6 | $72,088 |
| 2010 | 3 | $7,480 |
| 2009 | 2 | $5,584 |
| 2008 | 1 | $2,462 |
| 2007 | 22 | $234,799 |
| 2005 | 3 | $7,260 |
| 2004 | 1 | $463 |
| 2003 | 1 | $0 |
| 2001 | 27 | $208,579 |
| 1998 | 1 | $7,113 |
| 1997 | 45 | $298,088 |
| 1995 | 3 | $13,476 |
| 1994 | 4 | $37,446 |
| 1993 | 10 | $30,006 |
| 1989 | 1 | $0 |
| 1986 | 1 | $0 |
| 1984 | 1 | $421 |
| 1982 | 1 | $3,000 |
| 1979 | 3 | $1,863 |
| 1978 | 5 | $1,767 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flooding | 1997 | 45 | $298,088 |
| Severe flooding | 2001 | 27 | $208,579 |
| Midwest Flooding | 1993 | 10 | $30,006 |
| Winter storm | 2009 | 2 | $5,584 |
| Not a named storm | 1979 | 2 | $1,320 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 22 residential NFIP policies in Traverse County, against 2,219 residential buildings (1.0%). 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-4722-MN | Jul 19, 2023 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-4666-MN | Aug 9, 2022 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4658-MN | Jul 8, 2022 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4442-MN | Jun 12, 2019 | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4131-MN | Jul 25, 2013 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-1982-MN | May 10, 2011 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1900-MN | Apr 19, 2010 | Flooding | No |
| EM-3310-MN | Mar 19, 2010 | Flooding | No |
| DR-1830-MN | Apr 9, 2009 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| EM-3304-MN | Mar 26, 2009 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1370-MN | May 16, 2001 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 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 Minnesota.
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.