Flood history · Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Flood insurance claims in Council Bluffs, IA 51503
159 claims since 1978 and $785,378 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 51503 since 1978.
What the record says
82% of claims were on properties in high-risk zones and 18% outside them.
Losses are spread across many events; the largest, Midwest Flooding, accounts for 5% of claims.
16 claims were filed in the last 10 years.
The most commonly recorded cause is heavy rain or snowmelt collecting faster than it drains, which can happen far from any river or coast.
Pottawattamie County* takes part in FEMA's Community Rating System (class 9), which can lower flood insurance premiums by up to 05% in high-risk zones.
Biggest flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Flooding | 1993 | 8 | 5% |
| March 2019 Midwest Flooding | 2019 | 7 | 4% |
| Late spring storms | 2011 | 5 | 3% |
| Storm | 2008 | 5 | 3% |
| June Midwest Flooding | 2024 | 1 | 1% |
Flood zone at time of claim
NFIP communities
Federal disaster declarations in Pottawattamie County
Flood, hurricane and storm declarations since 2000.
12 flood, storm or hurricane declarations for Pottawattamie County since 2000.
Check a specific address in Council Bluffs.
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.