Blog · October 14, 2026 · Kansas
Jewell County Flood Zone Map, Kansas: a practical guide
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Lovewell.
Main page: Jewell County, KS GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Weighing a property around Montrose? Checking the Jewell County flood zone map reveals whether FEMA puts it in a high-risk zone, and no account is needed. In this county guide: finding the address on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and matching it with the county parcel viewer, at least around Mankato.
Getting started with the Jewell County flood zone map
For land near Mankato, flood zones come from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: enter the street address, and pick the FIRMette or map view. A tract near Formoso without an address is still easy to locate: zoom in from the nearest road and click the spot.
Getting to the right map
For a tract near Montrose, the public parcel map for this area is the ORKA parcel viewer, and anyone can open it without signing up. For land near Formoso, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, then pick the result to center the map on it. If the land is near North Branch, save the parcel ID before closing the panel; every office in the county uses it to find the file.
Low spots and local drainage
Low-lying fields near Randall may not have detailed mapping, so look for water marks and debris lines. Marshy spots near North Branch can limit building too; the National Wetlands Inventory mapper shows mapped wetlands.
Zones on the Jewell County flood zone map
In and around Lovewell, A and V zones mark the Special Flood Hazard Area, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any year. For acreage around Lovewell, shaded Zone X marks moderate flood hazard, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X is minimal risk.
On site with the map
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, useful out on a road near Lovewell, so load it before you lose signal. A screenshot of the parcel near Lovewell with its ID is a good backup.
Offices that can help
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Ionia looks off go to the County Appraiser, the office behind the parcel record. Building or septic questions for a lot near Burr Oak go to planning, building or health offices, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
Lining it up with the parcel map
FEMA's map shows zones but not ownership, so pair it with the ORKA parcel viewer to confirm you have the right parcel near Montrose.
Lenders and permits
For a structure inside an A or V zone and the loan is federally backed or regulated, the lender will require flood insurance where the community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, whether the land is near Randall or elsewhere in the county. New construction in a floodplain near Lovewell can trigger elevation rules; call the permitting office before you plan.
A short flood checklist
Out toward Montrose, request for any Elevation Certificate before closing; getting a quote early avoids surprises.
Land on the county line
The county touches Cloud County, Mitchell County, Osborne County, Republic County, and Smith County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map around Otego. Ground near Burr Oak that runs to the line may be split across two assessors' files, so open the neighboring map as well. If the land is near Burr Oak, the Platbookmapper state page lists every neighboring county map across Kansas.
Before you lean on the lines
Listed acreage is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor can set the real boundary on land around Esbon. Out toward Randall, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Jewell County in a few facts
Mankato serves as the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. Smaller places on the map include Burr Oak, Esbon, Formoso, and Randall. Around 2,847 people live in Jewell County (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) on roughly 910 square miles. Jewell County was formed in 1887, which matters when you trace an old farm's title.
Reading the legal description
Kansas is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Otego reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though sections near Ionia can be irregular. Write down the legal description for the tract near Ionia when you talk to a surveyor.
Frequently asked
Do I need to worry about flooding in Zone X for land near Mankato?
Out toward North Branch, shaded X is moderate risk and unshaded X is minimal risk; FEMA notes that a large share of claims come from these areas.
How do I get a property removed from a flood zone around Ionia?
For most people, FEMA's LOMA process is the usual route when a building near Esbon sits above the base flood elevation, and lenders accept the result.
Can I see flood zones on the ORKA parcel viewer in Jewell County?
For a parcel near Otego, a flood layer may appear in the ORKA parcel viewer layer list, but FEMA's own map is the official source.
When is flood insurance required in Jewell County?
For most people, for a building near Ionia in an A or V zone with a federally backed or regulated mortgage, it's generally required; elsewhere it's optional.
Can I settle a boundary dispute with the map near Burr Oak?
If the land is near Ionia, parcel lines are tax drawings, not surveys, so a fence may sit off the line
Open the official Jewell County, KS parcel map See it 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.