Enter any address in Cherokee County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall dominates the flood history of Cherokee County, accounting for the majority of recorded events over the last 30 years alongside general floods, tropical storms, and tropical depressions. NOAA storm records document significant impacts from these weather patterns, including heavy rainfall on May 27 that caused several impassable roadways along Terrapin Creek.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood claims have been filed across multiple zones, with Zone A properties accounting for 18 claims with an average payout of $17,164 and an average recorded water depth of 13 inches. Properties in Zone X recorded 6 claims with an average payout of $44,468 and an average recorded water depth of 19 inches, while Zone V recorded a single claim with an average payout of $12,875 and zero recorded water depth.
Property owners and real estate agents in Cherokee County should pay the closest attention to these risks, particularly homeowners located in designated high-risk Zone A areas near waterways like Terrapin Creek, as well as those in moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas where lower-frequency flooding has resulted in higher average property damage payouts and greater recorded water depths.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
22 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Cherokee County, Alabama has recorded 41 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 25 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1974–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Hurricane Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 28, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 19, 2019 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 15, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Depression | Sep 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 4, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 4, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 25, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 18, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — May 27, 2025
Several afternoons of thunderstorm activity occurred during the fourth week of May, with hail and wind damage being reported around Central Alabama over the course of four days. In addition, heavy rainfall on May 27 resulted in several impassable roadways along Terrapin Creek in Cherokee County.
Flash Flood — Aug 2, 2025
Slow-moving thunderstorms occurred during the afternoon of August 1. One storm dumped 2-3 of rain over a localized area of Vestavia Hills and northern Hoover in less than an hour, resulting in numerous street flooding issues along Highway 31 and nearby roadways. The next day, heavy rainfall developed along a boundary between the I-59 and I-20 corridors in northeast Central Alabama during the af...
Tropical Depression — Sep 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane along the Florida Big Bend/Panhandle late on September 26. As the center of circulation passed northward through Georgia overnight and the next morning, tropical depression-like effects were felt across far eastern Central Alabama, with wind gusts of 30-40 mph bringing down trees and a few power lines in several counties.
Flood — Mar 1, 2024
A shortwave trough approaching the Mississippi Valley from the central Great Plains, along with a surface low in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and stationary boundary along the Gulf Coast, contributed to widespread showers moving across Central Alabama during the morning hours of March 1. A ridge located over the East Coast promoted easterly surface winds across the area, with temperatures in...
Flood — Sep 4, 2022
The combination of high PWAT's and slow moving thunderstorms produced localized flash flooding in northern Cherokee County. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches occurred in a short period of time.
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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, Alabama that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, 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.