17 flood insurance claims·$257,159 paid·4 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Sumter County, Alabama. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events and severe summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Sumter County. According to NOAA Storm Events Database records over the last 30 years, the county experienced 18 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, alongside 7 general flood events, 3 tropical storm events, and 2 tropical depression events.
Recent recorded events illustrate these hazards. On July 13, 2023, slow-moving thunderstorms produced radar-estimated rainfall totals of 6 to 8 inches over a three-hour period, causing significant flooding. Additionally, Tropical Storm Zeta tracked into southwest Alabama on October 28, 2020, after making landfall as a hurricane in southeast Louisiana.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties located within high-risk Zone A have recorded the highest frequency and severity, with 13 claims averaging a payout of $22,354 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Properties in Zone X accounted for 2 claims with an average payout of $7,068 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches, while Zone V recorded 1 claim averaging a $4,197 payout with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners in Zone A and other mapped flood zones should pay the closest attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2003, with 3 claims and $53,904 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
8 NOAA storm reports from Sumter County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Alabama flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Jan 12, 2023 |
| Hurricane Sally | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Hurricane Nate | Oct 6, 2017 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 8, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Apr 27, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 15, 2011 |
| Hurricane Gustav | Aug 29, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 18 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2023 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 25, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 10, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 23, 2012 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2012 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2009 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2009 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 13, 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 Shelby County.
Tropical Storm · Oct 28, 2020. Tropical cyclone Zeta developed over the Western Caribbean Sea on Saturday, October 24, and slowly moved west. The tropical storm emerged into the Southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, October 27th. Zeta turned northwest and became a hurricane on Wednesday, October 28th. Zeta made landfall in southeast Louisiana late on Wednesday, then moved northeast into southwest Alabama late Wednesday night. The hurricane weaken…
Flash Flood · Aug 25, 2020. A band of slow moving thunderstorms produced localized heavy rainfall across Sumter County.
Flash Flood · Feb 10, 2020. Anomalously high PWAT's with values above 1.5 inches and deep southwest flow combined to produce favorable conditions for heavy rainfall across north Alabama. The likelihood of training cells prompted WPC to issue a high risk for excessive rainfall for February 10th. Rainfall totals averaged 2-4 inches across north Alabama with some locations along the|I-20 corridor around 5 inches.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Sumter County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.