Is Webster County, IA in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Webster County's flood hazard at the 47.1th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood hazard — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 3.8 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
7.7% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Webster County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 17 policies against 222 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Webster 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.
How Webster County compares nationally
Webster County sits at rank 1724 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1266 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Webster County, Iowa is home to about 36,909 people across 715.704 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Webster County
23 of Webster County's 15,570 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Webster 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.