Is Cape Girardeau County, MO in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Cape Girardeau County's flood hazard at the 78.1th percentile nationally — a middling flood hazard by national standards — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 6.3 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
6.9% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Cape Girardeau County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 37 policies against 536 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Cape Girardeau County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Cape Girardeau County ranks
Cape Girardeau County sits at rank 718 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 701 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Cape Girardeau County, Missouri covers 578.517 square miles and counts roughly 83,658 residents.
Checking a specific address in Cape Girardeau County
FEMA counts 29,297 residential structures in Cape Girardeau County overall, 54 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Cape Girardeau County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.