Enter any address in Chambers County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe weather events is the most frequent type of flooding recorded in Chambers County, AL over the past 30 years, with 20 such events documented by NOAA. This includes incidents like the flash flooding that occurred in October 2021, associated with a stationary upper-level low-pressure system that brought multiple days of severe weather. More recently, a flash flood event in July 2022 was linked to a cold front interacting with an unstable air mass. While tropical storms and depressions have also contributed to flooding, flash flood events have been more numerous.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced higher average water depths and claim payouts compared to Zone X. Specifically, Zone A claims averaged 3.2 feet of water depth and $29,197 in payouts, while Zone X claims averaged 0.0 feet of water depth and $49,439 in payouts. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, or those located near rivers and streams prone to flash flooding, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
13 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Chambers County, Alabama has recorded 29 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 20 flash floods and 3 river or area floods. The county has received 23 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 (1970–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Mar 24, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jan 12, 2023 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 8, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Apr 27, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 5, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 9, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 24, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 7, 2014 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Mar 27, 2023
A multi-day severe weather event produced all modes of severe weather across Central Alabama. An upper low parked over the Midwest States and an upper ridge over the Florida Peninsula produced a deep layer of moisture and shear over Alabama. A slow moving surface cold front provided the focus for severe storms late Saturday night and continuing through Monday morning.
Flash Flood — Jul 9, 2022
A late season cold front pushed southward across Central Alabama on July 9th. The air mass ahead of the front was very unstable with afternoon surface based CAPE of 4000-4500 J/kg and lifted indices around -7 Celsius. PWAT's were above two inches which also supported heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Oct 5, 2021
An upper level trough just west of the Mississippi River on October 3rd become stationary and evolved into a closed upper low by October 5th. The closed upper low remained nearly stationary for 48 hours and before finally lifting northward on October 7th. This system brought a variety of severe weather across Central Alabama over a five day period, including wind damage, large hail and extensiv...
Tropical Storm — Oct 29, 2020
Tropical cyclone Zeta developed over the Western Caribbean Sea on Saturday, October 24, and slowly moved west. The tropical storm emerged into the Southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, October 27th. Zeta turned northwest and became a hurricane on Wednesday, October 28th. Zeta made landfall in southeast Louisiana late on Wednesday, then moved northeast into southwest Alabama late Wednesday night. ...
Flash Flood — Aug 19, 2020
A surface boundary was positioned along the I-20/I-59 corridor. A short wave trough near the Mississippi/Alabama state line would provide the necessary lift along the surface boundary for the development of a line of strong to severe storms along and east of I-65.
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 Chambers 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 Chambers 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.