Enter any address in Madison County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates the flood character of Madison County, AL. Between 1993 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 203 flash flood events and 44 flood events, resulting in 3 fatalities. For example, in June 2025, heavy rainfall over a 3-4 hour period caused widespread flash flooding in Harvest, Madison County, leading to road closures and evacuations. Water depths of 6-12 inches affected apartments, requiring residents to be assisted in leaving their homes.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced a high volume of claims, with an average payout of $15,347 for 1.0 foot of water depth. Properties in Zone X, though fewer in number, have seen higher average payouts of $16,415 with an average water depth of 4.8 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in areas with unknown flood zone designations, should pay close attention to their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
103 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Madison County, Alabama has recorded 249 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 203 flash floods and 44 river or area floods. The county has received 21 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 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 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, 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 Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 23, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 15, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 2, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Sep 23, 2025
Heavy rainfall impacted portions of Limestone and Madison Counties in Northern Alabama, with several roads temporarily barricaded due to floodwaters. In all, 3-5 inches of rain occurred in East Limestone and Northwest Madison Counties.
Flash Flood — Jun 22, 2025
Heavy rainfall over a 3-4 hour period led to widespread flash and nuisance flooding across portions of Limestone and Madison Counties during the afternoon and early evening hours of the 22nd. Several roads were closed and numerous families had to be evacuated from their homes and apartments during the flooding in Harvest in Madison County, AL. 6-12 of water affected the apartments in Harvest, f...
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...
Flash Flood — Mar 15, 2024
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms dropped southeast through north Alabama during the early morning hours of the 15th. Several trees were knocked down due to the high winds, especially in Morgan County. One brief EF-0 tornado also occurred in DeKalb County.||Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms repeatedly moving across portions of North Central and Northwestern Madison County resulted in fl...
Flash Flood — May 9, 2024
A significant outbreak of tornadoes occurred in two waves during the evening of the 8th and early morning hours of the 9th. The first wave occurred as multiple supercell thunderstorms developed across southern middle Tennessee and far north central Alabama. These storms moved east during the evening hours, producing ## tornadoes in north central and northeast Alabama.||A break in the activity ...
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 Madison 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 Madison 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.