Blog · October 14, 2026 · North Dakota
The Dickey County Flood Zone Map: a North Dakota guide
Look up any Dickey County address on FEMA's flood map, read the zone, and match it to the parcel record for land around Ellendale.
Main page: Dickey County, ND GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Dickey County facts and neighboring maps).
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Is that lot in Ludden in a flood zone? The Dickey County flood zone map answer comes from FEMA, and it's free to look up. FEMA's free Flood Map Service Center and the Dickey County parcel viewer answer it together.
We'll cover finding a Dickey County address on FEMA's map, what Zone A, AE and X mean, how the county viewer fits in, and what to do if the map looks wrong.
Where to see the official Dickey County flood zone map
The authoritative source for a Dickey County flood zone map is FEMA, so begin at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Search returns the effective FIRM panel for the spot in Dickey County, plus any pending changes FEMA has posted. On acreage outside Forbes, FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer viewer draws the zones over aerial imagery and reports the zone wherever you click near Forbes. Next, the North Dakota Parcel Viewer confirms which Dickey County parcel you're looking at. Laying the county parcel outline beside the FEMA shading shows whether a homesite near Monango sits above or inside the zone.
Step one: the free Dickey County viewer
For Dickey County, the free public parcel layer is state-run: open the North Dakota Parcel Viewer and pan to Forbes. Expect a disclaimer screen the first time you open the Dickey County map; accept it and the parcels load. Use the search box for an address in Monango or a parcel number, or simply zoom in and click a property near Forbes. Our Dickey County, ND page keeps the official link and the maps next door to Forbes in one place.
What the flood zone letters mean
Any Dickey County parcel shaded as Zone A, AE, AH or AO sits in what FEMA calls a Special Flood Hazard Area, meaning FEMA estimates a 1-percent annual chance of flooding. Zone AE near Monango means FEMA published a base flood elevation; plain Zone A means no detailed elevation was studied. Land near Monango in shaded X (Zone B on older maps) sits in the moderate band between the 100-year and 500-year floods. Unshaded Zone X near Monango is minimal risk.
Creeks, rivers and low ground in Dickey County
In Dickey County, look closest at tracts along James River and Maple River. Lines on those Dickey County parcels often follow the water, so part of the tract can be mapped as high risk. A creek near Monango that shows no detailed zone can still flood; FEMA says moderate- and low-risk areas still carry risk.
Getting oriented in Dickey County, ND
Ellendale is the county seat, and Forbes, Fullerton, Monango, and Ludden are among the other towns on the county map. Smaller places such as Glover, Guelph, and Keystone appear on the county map as little clusters of lots. Dickey County had an estimated 4,900 people in 2023 (Census Bureau), spread across about 1,131 square miles. Beyond the town lots in Ellendale, expect big rural parcels across the county. Dickey County was organized in 1881, so deeds for older farms near Ludden can run back a long way.
When the map affects a deal
Lenders watch the zone closely on Dickey County properties. If a house near Monango sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area and secures a loan from a federally regulated or insured lender, a flood policy becomes a loan condition, provided the community near Forbes takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program. For a Dickey County home in shaded or unshaded X, federal rules do not require a policy, although some lenders require it anyway. Where a structure near Forbes looks higher than the shading suggests, the landowner can ask FEMA for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA), supported by elevation data from a licensed land surveyor. Adding on to a house near Monango inside the zone often requires a permit and an elevation check; the county floodplain administrator can say what applies.
Neighboring maps around Dickey County
Dickey County borders LaMoure County, McIntosh County, Ransom County, Sargent County, and Brown County, SD, and each keeps its own parcel map and records. Our North Dakota page links each map neighboring Dickey County.
Deeds and plats behind the Dickey County map
For land near Monango, the deed itself lives in the county recording office, and the map is an index to it. Easements and access rights near Forbes live in recorded documents, so read the deed, not just the county map.
Dickey County flood zones questions
What does Zone AE mean on a Dickey County flood map?
Zone AE on a lot in Forbes is a mapped 100-year floodplain with a base flood elevation, so mandatory insurance rules apply to federally backed mortgages.
What does 100-year flood mean for Dickey County land?
Not at all; a county tract in that zone has a 1-percent chance of flooding every year, and two floods in one decade near Forbes are possible.
Do I need a permit to build in the floodplain near Forbes?
Building in a Special Flood Hazard Area near Forbes usually needs a floodplain permit and may require elevating the structure, so check with the county floodplain administrator.
How do I know if a property in Dickey County is in a flood zone?
Look it up at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, then match the parcel lines in the North Dakota Parcel Viewer; for land near Oakes, a zone starting with A or V is high risk.
Where do I get an elevation certificate in Dickey County?
Hire a licensed land surveyor or engineer who works in Dickey County; ask the local floodplain office first in case one exists.
Open the official Dickey County, ND parcel map Dickey County in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.