Enter any address in Hardee County, Florida to see its FEMA flood zone
Flooding from tropical systems and hurricanes is a significant concern in Hardee County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 22 flood events, 9 tropical storm events, and 8 hurricane events. For example, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on September 28, 2022, and Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9, 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $56,085 and an average water depth of 5.3 feet. Zone X properties also show a notable number of claims, with an average payout of $40,890 and an average water depth of 1.0 foot. Residents in low-lying areas, coastal properties, and homes without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
22 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Hardee County, Florida has recorded 46 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 7 flash floods and 22 river or area floods. The county has received 36 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 (1977–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Milton | Hurricane | Oct 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Hurricane Idalia | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2023 |
| Tropical Storm Idalia | Tropical Storm | Aug 27, 2023 |
| Hurricane Nicole | Hurricane | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Tropical Storm Nicole | Tropical Storm | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 23, 2022 |
| Tropical Storm Ian | Hurricane | Sep 23, 2022 |
| Tropical Storm Elsa | Severe Storm | Jul 4, 2021 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Oct 9, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 28, 2022 | 1000.00K (4 deaths) |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 7, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 7, 2021 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Sep 12, 2017 | 1.64M |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 10, 2017 | 1.64M |
| Tropical Storm | Jun 6, 2016 | 15.00K |
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Oct 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton made landfall along the west-central Florida coast near Siesta Key at 7:30 PM EST on October 9th as a major, Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and a minimum pressure of 954 mb. 2 days prior to landfall on October 7th, Milton reached its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and a minimum pressure of 897 mb, m...
Tropical Storm — Aug 4, 2024
Hurricane Debby made landfall north of the local area along the Big Bend region of Florida near Steinhatchee around 7 AM EST on August 5th as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and a minimum pressure of 979 mb. Despite Debby���s track west of the Florida peninsula, impacts overspread the area from coastal locations spreading inland.|Storm surge affected the imme...
Tropical Storm — Aug 30, 2023
Hurricane Idalia made landfall just to the north of the local area near Keaton Beach, FL in Taylor county in Florida's Big Bend as a category 3 hurricane and brought devastating storm surge and wind impacts all along the west Florida coast, especially in closer vicinity to the landfall area across the Nature Coast. Storm surge flooding reached into homes and businesses as far south as Lee count...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Sep 28, 2022
Hurricane Ian formed in the central Caribbean Sea on September 23 and moved through the western Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic making four separate landfalls. The first landfall was in the Pinar Del Rio Province of Cuba at 0830 UTC on September 27 with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and a minimum pressure of 952 mb, before emerging into the Gulf of Mexico later that morn...
Tropical Storm — Nov 10, 2022
Hurricane Nicole initially formed as a subtropical storm in the western Atlantic on November 7 between Bermuda and the Bahamas before becoming fully tropical on November 8. Tropical Storm Nicole then moved generally westward over the next few days, with the center moving through the Bahamas on November 9 and strengthened to a hurricane that evening, before ultimately making landfall on North Hu...
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 Hardee County, Florida:
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 Hardee County, Florida 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.