Enter any address in Lee County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Lee County, AL, with 25 such events recorded in the last 30 years. Recent examples include significant rainfall and flooding along the Interstate 85 corridor in February 2024, and another flash flood event in May 2024. Tropical storms and depressions have also contributed to flood risk.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that while Zone A properties have experienced more claims, Zone X properties have had higher average payouts and water depths. Homeowners in Zone X, particularly those with higher average water depths, and those in Zone A should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lee County, Alabama has recorded 33 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 25 flash floods and 2 river or area floods. The county has received 22 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 (1975–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Tornado | Mar 3, 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 |
| 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 | Apr 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 12, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 11, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 3, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 23, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 6, 2025
Deep-layer ridging over the Southeast United States held up a trough over the Central United States for the first few days of April, leading to a prolonged and significant severe weather and flooding event from Texas to Ohio and West Virginia along a stalled boundary. As the ridge began to retreat eastward, a cold front slowly progressed through Central Alabama on April 6, with an all-hazards w...
Flash Flood — Feb 12, 2024
A slow-moving storm system brought several inches of rainfall to most of Central Alabama from early morning on February 11 through the evening of February 12. While most areas saw at least 1-2 inches of rain, parts of southern and southeastern Central Alabama recorded as much as 8 inches, especially across parts of Lee, Macon, and Russell counties. Waves of heavy rainfall resulted in flooding a...
Flash Flood — Feb 11, 2024
A slow-moving storm system brought several inches of rainfall to most of Central Alabama from early morning on February 11 through the evening of February 12. While most areas saw at least 1-2 inches of rain, parts of southern and southeastern Central Alabama recorded as much as 8 inches, especially across parts of Lee, Macon, and Russell counties. Waves of heavy rainfall resulted in flooding a...
Flash Flood — May 9, 2024
An upper-level shortwave moving southward across the South along with an associated surface cold front instigated an outbreak of severe weather across Tennessee and North Alabama. This activity reached Central Alabama by the morning of May 9 in the form of a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) which affected portions of the state east of I-65 with numerous reports of tree damage. A second wave of...
Flash Flood — Feb 3, 2022
A slow moving cold front moved through Central Alabama during the afternoon and overnight hours on February 3-4. A supercell thunderstorm developed in far eastern Mississippi and produced three EF2 tornadoes as it moved across west Alabama. Additional storms produced 2 EF0 tornadoes in Elmore County. A line of storms stalled along and south of the Interstate 85 corridor, resulting in a period ...
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 Lee 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 Lee 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.