61 flood insurance claims·$1.7M paid·5 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 Fulton County, Arkansas. 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 severe weather events dominates the flood risk profile in Fulton County, Arkansas. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 33 flash flood events, alongside 7 general flood events resulting in 1 death, 2 tropical storm events, and 2 tropical depression events. Recent severe weather has underscored this hazard, notably a multiday severe weather event in April 2025 that brought tornadoes, damaging winds, and widespread flash and river flooding from rainfall totals ranging from half a foot to over one foot. Another significant event occurred in November 2024 when a stalled stationary front across northern Arkansas produced heavy rainfall and numerous reports of flash flooding.
NFIP claim records indicate that property damage is not restricted to traditional high-risk areas. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 29 claims with an average payout of $21,466 and an average recorded water depth of 17 inches. Zone A accounted for 25 claims with an average payout of $39,939 and an average water depth of 7 inches, while Zone X recorded 5 claims averaging $56,474 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Zone X_UNSHADED logged 2 claims averaging $9,730 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners and real estate professionals managing properties in unmapped or unknown zones, as well as those in designated Zone A flood zones, should pay the closest attention to these recurring flash flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
7% of Fulton County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
27 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 9 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 2008, with 19 claims and $531,370 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding.
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.
19 NOAA storm reports from Fulton County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Arkansas flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Laura | Aug 26, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2017 |
| Severe Storms,tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 27, 2014 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 5, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Associated Flooding | Apr 14, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
44 since 1996: 33 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 4, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 2, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 11, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 5, 2025. Severe weather, including widespread flash flooding occurred over a five day period across the entire state. This multiday event featured tornadoes, damaging winds, and very large hail. But by far and large, flash flooding and river flooding were the biggest impacts taken away from this unsettled period of weather due to total rainfall amounts between half a foot to over one foot in many locations.
Flash Flood · Apr 4, 2025. Severe weather, including widespread flash flooding occurred over a five day period across the entire state. This multiday event featured tornadoes, damaging winds, and very large hail. But by far and large, flash flooding and river flooding were the biggest impacts taken away from this unsettled period of weather due to total rainfall amounts between half a foot to over one foot in many locations.
Flood · Apr 4, 2025. Severe weather, including widespread flash flooding occurred over a five day period across the entire state. This multiday event featured tornadoes, damaging winds, and very large hail. But by far and large, flash flooding and river flooding were the biggest impacts taken away from this unsettled period of weather due to total rainfall amounts between half a foot to over one foot in many locations.
Flash Flood · Nov 4, 2024. A cold front became a stationary front and stalled out across northern Arkansas leading to significant rainfall totals across northern Arkansas which led to numerous reports of flash flooding and significant rainfall totals.
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 Fulton 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.