Enter any address in Lafayette County, Florida to see its FEMA flood zone
Tropical storm and hurricane events have been the most frequent weather hazards impacting Lafayette County over the last 30 years, with 15 tropical storm events and 8 hurricane events recorded. These systems have brought significant rainfall and storm surge. For example, Hurricane Debby in August 2024 caused widespread flooding due to approximately 12 inches of rainfall, and Hurricane Helene in September 2024 produced a storm surge exceeding 15 feet along the coast.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with 125 claims averaging $14,882 and an average water depth of 4.6 feet. Properties in Zone X have also seen claims with a notably high average water depth of 28.5 feet, though with fewer claims. Residents in low-lying areas, those near water bodies, and properties not meeting the 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.
28 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lafayette County, Florida has recorded 40 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 5 flash floods and 12 river or area floods. The county has received 35 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 (1973–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Milton | Hurricane | Oct 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 23, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 23, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 10, 2024 |
| Hurricane Idalia | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2023 |
| Tropical Storm Idalia | Tropical Storm | Aug 27, 2023 |
| Hurricane Nicole | Hurricane | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 23, 2022 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | 1.00B |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Aug 5, 2024 | 5.00M |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Aug 30, 2023 | 7.50M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2022 | 3.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jul 7, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 6, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 19, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2018 | 0.00K |
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...
Tropical Storm — Aug 5, 2024
Hurricane Debby made landfall along the Taylor County coast as a Category 1 Hurricane on the morning of Monday August 5th. In addition to storm surge flooding along the FL Big Bend coast, around 12 inches of rainfall lead to widespread flooding in Madison and Taylor counties. In particular, rainfall in Southeast Madison County corresponded to a 0.2% annual chance occurrence or a 500 year flood ...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Aug 5, 2024
Hurricane Debby made landfall along the Taylor County coast as a Category 1 Hurricane on the morning of Monday August 5th. In addition to storm surge flooding along the FL Big Bend coast, around 12 inches of rainfall lead to widespread flooding in Madison and Taylor counties. In particular, rainfall in Southeast Madison County corresponded to a 0.2% annual chance occurrence or a 500 year flood ...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Aug 30, 2023
Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the morning of August 30th along the coast of Taylor County Florida near Keaton Beach at approximately 745 am EDT. The hurricane made landfall with estimated sustained winds of 125 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, the first major hurricane on record to make landfall in this portion of Florida. Hurricane Idalia mo...
Flash Flood — Jun 16, 2023
The middle part of June was unusually stormy across the area. Numerous rounds of strong to severe storms impacted the region with multiple squall lines that produced severe winds as well as supercells that produced large hail and tornadoes. Heavy rain also occurred over a multi-day period, which saturated the ground and led to some instances of flash flooding. ||The synoptic pattern featured ...
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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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.