53 flood insurance claims·$562,809 paid·10 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Choctaw County, Alabama. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding driven by severe weather dominates the flood risk profile of Choctaw County, Alabama. Over a 30-year period recorded by the NOAA Storm Events Database, the county experienced 46 flash flood events resulting in two deaths, alongside five hurricane events and three tropical storm events.
Recent NOAA narratives illustrate these localized threats. On March 26, 2023, a stalled front combined with wind shear and instability to produce severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash flooding. Later that year on January 4, 2023, strong thunderstorms moved ahead of a cold front, producing high winds and flooding across the area.
Federal insurance claims data shows that flood risks extend across multiple zones. Properties located in FEMA Zone A experienced the highest frequency with 27 claims, averaging a payout of $16,009 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Additional claims were filed in Zone UNKNOWN (15 claims, averaging a $4,700 payout and an average water depth of 2 inches), Zone X_UNSHADED (5 claims, averaging a $14,024 payout and an average water depth of 1 inch), Zone X (4 claims, averaging a $21,865 payout and an average water depth of 2 inches), and Zone D (1 claim, averaging a $9,700 payout and an average water depth of 2 inches). Homeowners and real estate professionals managing properties in Zone A and unshaded or poorly defined zones should pay the closest attention to these recurring flash flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18% of Choctaw County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
33 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1979, with 8 claims and $54,249 paid, the year of Flooding, Storms, Wind, Flooding and Hurricane Frederic.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
9 NOAA storm reports from Choctaw County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Alabama flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Hurricane Zeta | Oct 28, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sally | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Hurricane Nate | Oct 6, 2017 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 8, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Apr 27, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 15, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
54 since 1996: 46 flash floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Mar 26, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 4, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 4, 2023 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 16, 2021 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 23, 2019 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Mar 26, 2023. A stalled front over northern portions of the area combined with favorable wind shear and instability led to the development of severe thunderstorms. Two tornadoes developed along with several reports of large hail.
Flash Flood · Jan 4, 2023. Strong thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front and moved across the area during the afternoon and evening hours. These storms produced high winds that caused damage in addition to some flooding.
Flash Flood · Aug 24, 2022. A very favorable pattern for heavy rain combined with already wet ground conditions led to development of heavy rain and flooding across the area.
Flash Flood · Mar 16, 2021. Clusters of showers and thunderstorms stalled over portions of southwest Alabama and trained over the same areas producing very heavy rain and flooding. The thunderstorms also produced strong winds which caused damage in southwest Alabama.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Choctaw County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.