Enter any address in Colbert County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Colbert County, AL, with 121 occurrences recorded in the last 30 years. Other flood types, including general floods, tropical storms, and tropical depressions, have also been documented. Recent events include flash flooding on March 1, 2023, associated with heavy rainfall, and on June 17, 2025, which also brought strong winds and downed trees.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a variety of flood zones with claims. Zone A has the highest number of claims at 86, with an average payout of $12,982 and an average water depth of 4.3 feet. Zone X, which includes X_SHADED and X_UNSHADED, has a combined total of 35 claims, with average payouts ranging from $2,660 to $13,211 and water depths from 0.7 to 2.4 feet.
Homeowners in Zone A, and those in other zones experiencing significant water depth, should pay particular attention to flood risk. Properties located in areas prone to flash flooding, as indicated by the frequent thunderstorm activity, also warrant careful consideration.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
65 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Colbert County, Alabama has recorded 145 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 121 flash floods and 20 river or area floods. The county has received 24 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Mar 24, 2023 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 5, 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 16, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Nov 29, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 16, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 14, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Depression | Aug 30, 2021 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 25, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 20, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2021 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 17, 2025
An upper level trough produced numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on the 17th. These thunderstorms resulted in strong and gusty winds that knocked down trees, power lines and at least one power pole. Heavy rains also resulted in isolated flash flooding.
Flood — Feb 16, 2023
Rainfall amounts of 2.5-4 fell over the course of a few hours on the evening of February 16th. Widespread flooding occurred across portions of Cullman, Marshall, and into portions of Jackson and Dekalb Counties. Parts of I-65 were shut down, and several water rescues occurred in Cullman County that evening thanks to thunderstorms repeatedly moving across these areas in a very warm and moist air...
Flash Flood — Mar 1, 2023
Supercells erupted during the late afternoon and early evening hours in northern Mississippi and spread east across north Alabama during the rest of the evening into the overnight hours. At least one tornado was determined to produce damage in northern Madison County near New Market. Other reports of damaging winds were reported. The other impact from this evening was excessive rainfall and fl...
Flood — Nov 29, 2022
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms, some strong to severe, moved through the region during the afternoon of the 29th into the early morning of the 30th. Supercell thunderstorms produced large hail and isolated damaging winds during the afternoon hours of the 29th in northwest into north central Alabama. Then, during the evening and overnight hours, another band of thunderstorms produced wind da...
Flash Flood — Apr 16, 2022
A weak frontal boundary moved into the Tennessee Valley during the early morning hours of April 16th. As it moved into northwest Alabama, elevated instability was enough to produce isolated instances of flash flooding, hail, and damaging straight line winds.
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 Colbert 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 Colbert 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.