Missouri River floodplain and levees along Howard County's southern edge

The Missouri River runs along much of Howard County’s southern edge. The low bottomland near the river is very different from the higher ground around Fayette. Land in the bottoms, including spots near New Franklin and Glasgow, can sit in a mapped flood zone. Some of it may also sit behind a levee. Those things can change flood risk, insurance, and what you are allowed to build.

The river here moves over time. The first town of Franklin, set up in 1816, was lost to floods in the late 1820s, and people rebuilt as New Franklin on higher ground in 1828.

So not every parcel carries the same flood risk. Before you buy or build near the river, the exact parcel is worth looking up on FEMA’s flood maps. The county can tell you whether a levee or drainage district covers it, and the current flood status for that spot is the thing to confirm.