Enter any address in Monroe County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Monroe County, AL, with 24 occurrences in the last 30 years. This type of flooding has been observed during periods of strong instability and moisture, such as on February 3, 2022, when heavy rain caused widespread flooding. Other significant flood-producing events include tropical storms and hurricanes.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced 12 claims with an average payout of $4,370 and an average water depth of 1.1 feet. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN have had 6 claims with an average payout of $4,592 and an average water depth of 3.0 feet. One claim was recorded in Zone V, with a payout of $19,355. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone UNKNOWN, as well as those in coastal areas or near rivers, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
7 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Monroe County, Alabama has recorded 36 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods and 3 river or area floods. The county has received 26 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 Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 28, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Nate | Hurricane | Oct 6, 2017 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 8, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Hurricane Isaac | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2012 |
| 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 15, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 3, 2022 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 3, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 15, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Feb 9, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 7, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 2, 2017 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Dec 24, 2015 | 275.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 15, 2023
Unusually strong wind shear combined with strong instability and numerous disturbances led to a very active period of severe weather through the month of June. Numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds were recorded along with a few tornadoes.
Flash Flood — Feb 3, 2022
A very moist and unstable airmass developed ahead of an approaching cold front. Storms developed along the front and produced damaging wind gusts as they moved across southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama. Heavy rain caused flooding across portions of the area.
Tropical Storm — Oct 28, 2020
Hurricane Zeta made landfall in southeast Louisiana during the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, October 28th as a strong category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. Zeta quickly raced northeast and moved across inland southeast Mississippi and inland southwest Alabama during the evening hours. Shortly after midnight, Thursday, October 29th, Zeta weakened to a tropical storm ...
Tropical Storm — Sep 15, 2020
Hurricane Sally made landfall in Gulf Shores, AL at 5am on Wednesday, September 16th as a strong Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Sally produced widespread wind, storm surge, and freshwater flooding across coastal AL and the western Florida Panhandle. Flood and wind damage also extended well inland into inland southwest Alabama and south central Alabama. Sally was a...
Flood — Feb 9, 2020
Excessive rainfall across northern and central Alabama and Mississippi as well as in parts of the Tennessee Valley, resulted in very significant rises along the Alabama River and Tombigbee Rivers in southwest Alabama. This major flooding also resulted in other rivers flooding across the Mobile River Delta, including the Bayou Sara at Saraland.
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 Monroe 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 Monroe 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.