31 flood insurance claims·$894,585 paid·9 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 Clarke 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 from heavy rainfall dominates the flood risk profile in Clarke County, Alabama, supported by 45 flash flood events over the last 30 years alongside occurrences of tropical storms, hurricanes, and general floods. NOAA records document specific heavy rain events causing regional flooding, including multiple incidents on February 3, 2022, when an unstable airmass ahead of a cold front brought heavy rain across southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama. Another significant event occurred on August 24, 2022, when heavy rain developed over already wet ground conditions.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data demonstrate that property damage occurs across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for 17 claims with an average payout of $38,477 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Zone X properties experienced 7 claims averaging $35,802 with an average recorded water depth of 5 inches, while Zone V recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $34,168 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Additional claims were filed in Zone UNKNOWN and Zone X_UNSHADED.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within high-risk Special Flood Hazard Areas such as Zone A and coastal Zone V, where claims are frequent and average payouts exceed $34,000, as well as properties in Zone X where moderate flood risks still result in significant insurance claims.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
9% of Clarke County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
22 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 5 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 2018, with 10 claims and $586,841 paid, the year of Hurricane Michael.
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.
18 NOAA storm reports from Clarke County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Alabama flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Hurricane Zeta | Oct 28, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sally | Sep 14, 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 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Dec 12, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
56 since 1996: 45 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 3, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 24, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 16, 2021 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 15, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Feb 7, 2020 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jan 23, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 · Feb 3, 2022. A very moist and unstable airmass developed ahead of an approaching cold front. Storms developed along the front and produced damaging wind gusts as they moved across southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama. Heavy rain caused flooding across portions of the area.
Flash Flood · Apr 24, 2021. A two part severe weather outbreak impacted the northern Gulf Coast. An early morning squall line brought wind damage to numerous locations. The second round of severe storms in the afternoon and early evening resulted in very large hail across potions of inland southwest and south central AL, some of which reached baseball size. Additional wind damage occurred as well. A few instances of flash flooding were also…
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 Clarke 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.