How much flood risk does McDonald County actually carry?
McDonald County lands at the 73.7th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Moderate" territory — a middling flood hazard by national standards — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 3.9 times a year. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 667 homes FEMA counts inside McDonald County's mapped flood zone, 39 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 5.9% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in McDonald County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.4% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
McDonald County against the rest of the country
McDonald County sits at rank 865 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1647 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). McDonald County, Missouri covers 539.445 square miles and counts roughly 24,054 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in McDonald County
Across all of McDonald County's 12,448 residential structures, 53 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed McDonald 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.