Enter any address in Barbour County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the primary flood concern for Barbour County. Recent examples include significant rainfall from Hurricane Francine in September 2024 and Hurricane Sally in September 2020, which dropped localized amounts of up to 12 inches of rain in some areas. Tropical Storms Michael in October 2018 and Irma in September 2017 also brought heavy rains and gusty winds to the region.
National Flood Insurance Program data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced a higher volume of claims, with an average payout of $28,107 for an average water depth of 1.2 feet. However, properties in Zone X have seen deeper flooding, with an average water depth of 4.7 feet and an average payout of $13,614. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone X should pay close attention to flood risk information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
6 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Barbour County, Alabama has recorded 15 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 9 flash floods. The county has received 28 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1975–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jan 12, 2023 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Apr 19, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Michael | Hurricane | Oct 10, 2018 |
| Hurricane Nate | Hurricane | Oct 6, 2017 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 8, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 14, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 24, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 14, 2009 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 14, 2009 | 5.00K |
| Tropical Depression | Nov 9, 2009 | 2.00K |
| Tropical Depression | Aug 23, 2008 | 20.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 29, 2005 | 50K |
Flash Flood — Sep 14, 2024
Hurricane Francine made landfall along the Louisiana coast during the afternoon of September 11. Downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved northward through Mississippi the next day, Francine brought gradient wind gusts of 30-40 mph to Central Alabama. Numerous trees were downed across several counties, with some falling on power lines and across roadways. One minor injury occurred in Jef...
Flash Flood — Sep 16, 2020
Hurricane Sally made landfall early Wednesday morning on September 16, near Gulf Shores, Alabama. Sally weakened quickly after moving inland and tracked northeast across southeast Alabama during the overnight hours on Wednesday, September 16th, and the morning hours on Thursday, September 17th.||The main impacts for Central Alabama were felt along and south of Interstate 85, where 4-8 inches of...
Tropical Storm — Oct 10, 2018
The center of Tropical Cyclone Michael come ashore as a high end category four hurricane just east of Panama City, Florida, during the early afternoon on Wednesday, October 10th. The southeast portions of Central Alabama were under a Tropical Storm warning and experienced heavy rainfall and wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph.
Tropical Storm — Sep 11, 2017
Hurricane Irma made landfall on the west coast of the Florida peninsula on September 10th. The hurricane tracked northward across Florida and weakened into a tropical storm on September 11th as it moved into southwest Georgia Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for east central Alabama as Tropical Storm Irma approached east Alabama. Steady rains overspread the region by early morning, with ...
Flash Flood — Dec 24, 2015
A low level boundary across southeast Alabama became the focus for heavy rainfall and severe weather during the early morning hours of December 24th. As the boundary lifted northward, the focus for heavy rainfall and severe weather shifted into north central Alabama.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Barbour County, Alabama:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Barbour County, Alabama that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.