Enter any address in Coffee County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe weather events is the most frequent type of flooding in Coffee County, AL, with 38 recorded events in the last 30 years. These events have included significant weather systems, such as the severe weather and flash flooding that occurred in March 2024, and the broader high-impact severe weather event in January 2024 which brought multiple tornadoes and damaging winds. Tropical Storms and other flood events have also impacted the county, contributing to a total of 48 flood-related events over the same period.
Analysis of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $17,855 and an average water depth of 5.1 feet. However, properties in Zone X (both shaded and unshaded) have also seen substantial claims, with average payouts significantly higher than Zone A, particularly in unshaded Zone X where the average payout was $43,089 with an average water depth of 4.3 feet. Residents in Zone A, as well as those in areas designated as Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
39 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Coffee County, Alabama has recorded 57 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 38 flash floods and 7 river or area floods. The county has received 30 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1975–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Apr 19, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Michael | Hurricane | Oct 10, 2018 |
| Hurricane Nate | Hurricane | Oct 6, 2017 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 18, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 16, 2021 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2020 | 500.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | May 28, 2018 | — |
Tropical Storm — Sep 26, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane...
Flash Flood — Mar 9, 2024
A line of thunderstorms moved through the tri-state area ahead of a cold front. Severe weather and flash flooding accompanied this line, mainly across southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia, although a few trees were also blown down in northwest Florida. One tornado was reported in Dale County, AL, and another tornado briefly occurred in northeast Leon County, FL extending into Jefferson count...
Flash Flood — Jan 9, 2024
A high impact severe weather event impacted the tri-state region on January 9th with supercells producing tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts, followed by a major squall line with widespread wind damage and additional tornadoes. Preceding this activity, very strong non-thunderstorm wind gusts of 40-60 mph occurred, with even a gust to 70 mph at the Albany airport. There were 14 torna...
Flash Flood — Mar 18, 2022
A slow moving cold front brought showers and thunderstorms to the area on March 18th. Thunderstorms trained over the same areas in some instances, resulting in flash flooding due to heavy rain amounts of 4-7 inches falling in a short period of time. In addition, there were a couple of reports of downed trees and large hail.
Flash Flood — Sep 1, 2022
A cluster of slow moving thunderstorms moved into eastern Coffee county with flash flooding reported on Rucker Blvd near the Coffee-Dale County line.
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 Coffee 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 Coffee 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.