Enter any address in Shelby County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe weather events is the most frequent type of flooding in Shelby County, AL, with 69 such events recorded over the last 30 years. These events have resulted in 3 fatalities. For example, a significant severe weather event on March 15, 2025, included isolated flooding alongside tornadoes and high winds. Another instance of flash flooding occurred on April 6, 2025, due to slow-moving thunderstorms.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that Zone A areas have experienced the highest number of claims, with 404 claims filed. However, Zone X areas have seen higher average payouts and water depths. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and X_SHADED, should pay particular attention to flood 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.
Shelby County, Alabama has recorded 82 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 69 flash floods and 6 river or area floods. The county has received 26 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 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Oct 6, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Mar 25, 2021 |
| 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, 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 | May 18, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 4, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 22, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 18, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — May 18, 2025
A cluster of severe thunderstorms developed over south central Arkansas late on May 17 and moved east-southeastward into Central Alabama, arriving shortly after 5 AM CDT. A small MCS feature intensified quickly as it crossed the Mississippi state line into Pickens County. The system moved through Tuscaloosa County, just north of the city of Tuscaloosa, where up to 90 to 100 mph winds resulted i...
Flash Flood — Mar 15, 2025
A significant severe weather event unfolded across Central Alabama on March 15, with 15 tornadoes, several instances of straight-line wind damage, and isolated flooding. An initial round of storms during the early morning brought reports of large hail in Pickens and Walker counties, followed by an afternoon round with several strong, long-track tornadoes. Of the 15 tornadoes, five were rated EF...
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 — 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 — Jul 14, 2023
A moist and unstable airmass was present over southwest Alabama during the morning hours with PWATs near 2.5 inches. Slow moving thunderstorms developed during the early morning hours over Sumter County. Significant flooding occurred with radar estimated rainfall amounts of 6 to 8 inches fell over a three hour period. Additional storms developed on July 14th and produced localized flooding in ...
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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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.