Enter any address in DeKalb County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates the flood history of DeKalb County, accounting for 62 of the past 30 years of NOAA-recorded flood events and resulting in 3 deaths, alongside 24 standard floods and 3 tropical storms. Recent NOAA records illustrate this hazard, noting that excessive rainfall from slow-moving thunderstorms caused brief isolated flash flooding in the county on August 20, 2025. Another significant event occurred on February 12, 2025, when two rounds of heavy rainfall produced widespread river flooding and flash flooding across the region within a 48 to 72-hour period.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that property owners in both high-risk and moderate-to-low-risk zones have experienced flood impacts. Zone A properties recorded 23 claims with an average payout of $22,846 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X properties logged 9 claims with an average payout of $114,807 and an average recorded water depth of 16 inches, while Zone X unshaded areas recorded 7 claims with an average payout of $5,016 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated high-risk riverine areas and moderate-risk zones should pay close attention to these historical claim depths and flood frequencies when evaluating property risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
34 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
DeKalb County, Alabama has recorded 89 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 62 flash floods and 24 river or area floods. The county has received 34 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 (1973–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Severe Thunderstorms | Severe Storm | Apr 12, 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, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 28, 2014 |
| 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 | Aug 20, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 20, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 12, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 25, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2021 | 0.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 20, 2025
Widespread clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms, some with intense rainfall in a short period of time, developed during the early to mid afternoon hours. The thunderstorms moved slowly south to southwest, merging in some areas to produce very heavy rainfall. Excessive rainfall resulted in brief isolated flash flooding in Dekalb and Madison Counties. ||Flash Flooding in DeKalb.|Flash Flood...
Flood — Aug 20, 2025
Widespread clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms, some with intense rainfall in a short period of time, developed during the early to mid afternoon hours. The thunderstorms moved slowly south to southwest, merging in some areas to produce very heavy rainfall. Excessive rainfall resulted in brief isolated flash flooding in Dekalb and Madison Counties. ||Flash Flooding in DeKalb.|Flash Flood...
Flash Flood — Feb 12, 2025
Two rounds of heavy rainfall affected Northern Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee, with the first round producing widespread river flooding across the area. In addition, flash flooding occurred in several locations with the first event, and again with the second event just 48-72 hours later. While most river gage locations fell back below flood stage by the end of the week, the Tennessee Riv...
Flash Flood — Jun 6, 2025
A complex of strong to severe thunderstorms formed along and ahead of a pre-front trough axis that move along a stalled front well to our north on June 6th. Most of the severe storms occurred in near and east of the I-65 corridor.
Flash Flood — Jul 29, 2022
Thunderstorms developed along a weak cold front during the midday hours and knocked down trees in parts of DeKalb County. Also, there was one report of flash flooding in the county.
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 DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, Alabama that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, 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.