Enter any address in Washington County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding in Washington County, AL, with 24 such events recorded in the last 30 years. This includes significant rainfall events like the one on February 3, 2022, which caused widespread flooding, and a December 28, 2018, event where 5 to 10 inches of rain led to road closures and inundated homes. Tropical storms and hurricanes have also impacted the county, with four tropical storm events and three hurricane events occurring in the same period, such as Hurricane Zeta on October 28, 2020, which brought strong winds and rain.
Homeowners in Zone A and Zone V should pay particular attention to flood risk. Zone A properties have seen nine NFIP claims averaging $5,591 with an average water depth of 1.6 feet. Zone V properties, which are coastal areas, have had two claims averaging $18,150 with an average water depth of 2.0 feet. Properties located in areas with unknown flood risk also experienced one claim.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
9 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Washington County, Alabama has recorded 31 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods. The county has received 27 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 | 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 | Feb 3, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 28, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 14, 2018 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2017 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2017 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2017 | 460.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 7, 2017 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 2, 2017 | 1.20M |
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 ...
Flash Flood — Jan 23, 2019
Heavy rains caused flooding across portions of southwest Alabama.
Flash Flood — Dec 28, 2018
Significant flash flooding unfolded across parts of southwest Alabama (Choctaw, Clarke Counties) where a swath of 5 to 10 inches of rain fell in a short period of time. The highest rainfall total that occurred in southwest Alabama was 10 inches near Aquilla, AL in Choctaw County. ||Numerous roads were closed or washed out across the aforementioned area due to the flash flooding. Floodwaters als...
Flash Flood — Apr 14, 2018
A deep upper level low moved into the lower Mississippi Valley and pushed a cold front into the southeast states. The front temporarily stalled over portions of southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama during the afternoon and evening of April 14th. This resulted in the training of thunderstorms, which resulted in flash flooding across portions of inland southwest Alabama. As the front began...
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 Washington 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 Washington 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.