Enter any address in Clay County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe weather events is the most frequent type of flooding in Clay County, AL, with 19 such events recorded by NOAA over the last 30 years. For example, a multi-day severe weather event in March 2023 brought significant rainfall, and heavy rainfall and severe storms in February 2020 also resulted in flooding. Tropical storms and depressions have also impacted the county, with 7 such events noted in the same period, including Tropical Storm Zeta in October 2020 and Tropical Storm Irma in September 2017.
While the majority of flood events are flash floods, there has been one National Flood Insurance Program claim filed in Zone V, which is typically associated with coastal storm surge. This claim resulted in an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0.0 feet. Residents in areas prone to flash flooding, particularly those near waterways or in low-lying areas, should remain aware of flood risks.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
11 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Clay County, Alabama has recorded 28 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 19 flash floods and 2 river or area floods. The county has received 24 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Mar 25, 2021 |
| 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 |
| 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 | Mar 27, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 8, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 7, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 22, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2013 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 3, 2010 | 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.
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. ...
Flood — Feb 6, 2020
Heavy rainfall and severe storms affected Central Alabama on February 5th and 6th as several impulses emanated from a deep upper trough centered over the central United States. This event yielded tornadoes, damaging winds, and flooding.||The northward progression of a warm front allowed a seasonably warm and moist air mass to overspread the region on Wednesday, February 5th, with afternoon temp...
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 — Aug 10, 2017
The interaction of two mesoscale features produced areas of concentrated heavy rainfall and flash flooding across central Alabama. A Mesoscale Convective Vortex moving eastward from southern Mississippi collided with a sea-breeze front moving northward from the Gulf Coast. Precipitable water values were near 2.5 inches which resulted in highly efficient rainfall rates.
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 Clay 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 Clay 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.