Know your Flood Hazard and Maps

Welcome to the Floodplain Management section of Story County's website. Story County has a long, established history of floodplain management programs, through the review of applications and issuance of permits to record-keeping to the relationship of floodplain management and hazard mitigation for properties in unincorporated Story County.

Our adopted Floodplain Management program looks at three aspects - Regulations, Mapping, and Flood Insurance. More details on each of these components may be found in the tabs to the left or in the boxes below.

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Here's a quick guide to help you get started.

  • To look at your property and determine whether it is in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), visit the Story County Assessor's website. Enter your address in the search box, and once the report comes up showing your property, click on the "Map" icon in the upper left corner.
  • Another great resource to find an official flood map, access flood hazard products, and understand flood risk is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. On that site, you can search by address and use other tools to find your property.
  • To see if there is a Flood Elevation Certificate on file for your property, contact the County's Floodplain Manager at 515-382-7245. Please note, we only have information for the unincorporated areas of Story County (outside city limits).
  • For literature on flood safety, protecting your property against flood damage, and recovering after a flood, helpful publications are located on the tab to the left and are distributed to libraries throughout Story County.
  • For information on when a floodplain development permit is required, review the Floodplain Management Ordinance and contact the County's Floodplain Manager.
  • Real-time flood information is provided by the stream and river sensors installed across the state of Iowa. If you're tracking the progress of floodwaters, visit the Iowa Flood Center's IFIS tool.

You can also fill out this form and submit it to get more information about properties located in unincorporated Story County, Iowa.