Flood history · West Des Moines, IA 50265
Flood insurance claims in West Des Moines, IA 50265
413 claims since 1981 and $4.2 million paid. Here's what the public record shows, and how to check a specific address.
Claims by year
Every NFIP flood insurance claim reported in ZIP 50265 since 1978.
What the record says
Almost all claims here (90%) were on properties in high-risk zones (A or V). In those zones, federally regulated lenders require flood insurance.
One event dominates the record: Midwest Flooding accounts for 46% of all claims in this ZIP code.
6 claims were filed in the last 10 years.
The most commonly recorded cause is rivers, streams or lakes overflowing.
Biggest flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Flooding | 1993 | 192 | 46% |
| Unnamed flooding | 1990 | 79 | 19% |
| Storm | 2008 | 6 | 1% |
Flood zone at time of claim
NFIP communities
Federal disaster declarations in Polk County
Flood, hurricane and storm declarations since 2000.
10 flood, storm or hurricane declarations for Polk County since 2000.
Check a specific address in West Des Moines.
ZIP-level history is the backdrop. See the official FEMA flood zone, ground elevation and next steps for one property, free.
Sources: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) and Disaster Declarations Summaries, FEMA NFIP Community Status Book; place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Data as of 2026-10-09. Payments are net building + contents payments in dollars at the time paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims are grouped by the ZIP code reported on the claim. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA. Information only; not an official flood zone determination or insurance advice.