18 flood insurance claims·$87,982 paid·16 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 Jefferson County, Florida. 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.
Jefferson County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by tropical storms and flash flooding. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 30 tropical storm events resulting in one death, 14 flash flood events, nine hurricanes, three storm surge or tide events, and three general flood events.
Recent historical events illustrate this hazard pattern. On March 9, 2025, a slow-moving frontal boundary produced multiple rounds of showers, thunderstorms, and isolated flash flooding. A major flash flood event occurred between April 10 and April 11, 2024, when 6 to 10 inches of rain—with localized higher amounts—fell across the region, causing rapid water rises, flooded structures and vehicles, and millions of dollars in damage.
National Flood Insurance Program records reflect claims distribution across hazard zones. Properties located in Zone A show 15 recorded claims with an average payout of $7,629 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X accounts for two claims with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN registers one claim with an average payout of $11,696 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Consequently, property owners in Zone A and unmapped or unknown zones should pay the closest attention to flood risk and mitigation.
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 1 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 1995, with 2 claims and $23,106 paid, the year of Hurricane Erin.
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.
44 NOAA storm reports from Jefferson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Florida flood stories →
39 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 16 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 23, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Sep 23, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | May 10, 2024 |
| Hurricane Idalia | Aug 27, 2023 |
| Tropical Storm Idalia | Aug 27, 2023 |
| Hurricane Nicole | Nov 7, 2022 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
59 since 1996: 14 flash floods, 3 river or area floods and 3 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Mar 9, 2025 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | $10.0M |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Sep 26, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 9, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 | — |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Aug 30, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Mar 9, 2025. A slow moving frontal boundary brought multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the area. Isolated flash flooding occurred along with hail and isolated wind damage.
Hurricane (Typhoon) · Sep 26, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastat…
Storm Surge/Tide · Sep 26, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastat…
Flash Flood · Apr 11, 2024. A major flash flood event occurred across portions of the Florida big bend and southern Georgia during the late night hours of April 10th through the early morning hours of April 11th. Between 6 and 10 inches of rain fell with localized higher amounts, particularly over Tallahassee. This resulted in rapid water rises across Tallahassee with numerous cars and structures flooded. Several million dollars in flood…
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 Jefferson 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.