Enter any address in Hendry County, Florida to see its FEMA flood zone
Tropical storm and hurricane events have been the most frequent and impactful flood-related hazards in Hendry County over the past 30 years. Recent examples include Hurricane Milton in October 2024, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, and Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which brought tropical storm-force winds to southern Florida. Tropical depressions and floods have also occurred.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $6,290 and an average water depth of 3.0 feet. However, properties in Zone X have seen higher average payouts ($7,859) and significantly deeper water on average (11.8 feet), despite fewer claims. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED and UNKNOWN zones have also filed claims with lower average payouts and water depths.
Homeowners in low-lying areas, particularly those in Zone A and Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk. Properties located near rivers or coastal areas, and those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) designation, may be at higher risk during significant weather events.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
15 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Hendry County, Florida has recorded 24 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 3 flash floods and 5 river or area floods. The county has received 38 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2024)
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 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 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Hurricane | Aug 28, 2019 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression | Sep 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 9, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Depression | Aug 3, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 31, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Depression | Aug 29, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 28, 2022 | 419.00K (2 deaths) |
| Tropical Depression | Nov 9, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 20, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Depression | Nov 8, 2020 | 0.00K |
Tropical Depression — Sep 26, 2024
The center of Hurricane Helene passed about 200 miles west of Naples as a Category 3 hurricane moving N-NE over the eastern Gulf of Mexico around midday on Thursday, September 26th, then made landfall later that evening in the Florida Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and lowest central pressure of 938 mb. The large wind field around Helene brought tropi...
Tropical Storm — Oct 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton became a Category 5 hurricane in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Monday, October 7th about 735 miles SW of Tampa while moving east-southeast, then turned east and northeast on Tuesday, October 8th while maintaining Category 4 and 5 strength. Milton's maximum winds decreased as it approached the Florida peninsula on Wednesday, October 9th, and made landfall near Siesta Key as...
Tropical Depression — Aug 3, 2024
The center of Debby passed about 140 miles west of Naples as a tropical storm moving north-northwest over the eastern Gulf of Mexico around 8 AM EDT on August 4th. Tropical Storm Debby intensified into a hurricane as it passed southwest of Tampa late August 4th before making landfall in the Florida Big Bend area as a Category 1 hurricane on the morning of August 5th, with maximum sustained wind...
Flood — Jul 31, 2023
A weak pressure pattern led to seabreeze-driven showers and thunderstorms over interior South Florida. Light winds caused the storms to move little, producing very high rainfall rates.
Tropical Depression — Aug 29, 2023
The center of Hurricane Idalia passed about 180 miles west of Naples as a Category 2 moving north over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The outermost edge of Idalia's tropical storm force wind field skirted the SW Florida Gulf coast, and a few outer rain bands moved through South Florida on August 29th and 30th bringing brief tropical storm force wind gusts. A storm surge of about 3 feet, combined w...
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 Hendry 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 Hendry 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.