Enter any address in Lauderdale County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Lauderdale County. Between 1994 and 2024, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 162 flash flood events, along with 49 general flood events, 3 tropical storms, and 2 tropical depressions. Recent examples include isolated flash flooding near Killen in July 2025 following heavy rainfall, and a flash flood event in June 2025 that produced hail and downed trees.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A and Zone X_Unshaded have experienced flooding, with average payouts of $8,022 and $10,780 respectively. However, properties in Zone X have seen higher average payouts of $19,754, with an average water depth of 5.9 feet. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, Zone X, and Zone X_Unshaded should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
82 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lauderdale County, Alabama has recorded 216 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 162 flash floods and 49 river or area floods. The county has received 20 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 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 8, 2017 |
| 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 |
| Hurricane Gustav | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 25, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 2, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 16, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 10, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 27, 2025
Clusters of thunderstorms developed during the late morning in northwest Alabama producing locally excessive rainfall. During the afternoon, new clusters of thunderstorms developed in northeast Alabama, producing hail up to one inch and gusty winds which knocked down at least one tree.
Flash Flood — Apr 25, 2025
Heavy rainfall from slow-moving thunderstorms produced a few instances of flash flooding across Northern Alabama.
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.
Flash Flood — Jul 16, 2025
A narrow band of slow moving thunderstorms dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain in a small area of Lauderdale County near Killen during the late evening hours. This resulted in isolated flash flooding and at least one tree being knocked down.
Flash Flood — Sep 2, 2025
A slow moving cluster of heavy showers and embedded thunderstorms dumped 3-6 inches of rainfall over a 3-6 hour period in a portion of northwest Alabama. The heaviest rain fell in eastern Colbert County which resulted in flooding and one water rescue in the Leighton area.
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 Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale 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.