1,015 flood insurance claims·$11.8M paid·14 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 Leon 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.
Flash flooding dominates Leon County's flood risk, accounting for 98 out of 157 total recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 32 general floods, 20 tropical storms, and 7 hurricanes.
Recent events illustrate this recurring hazard. In March 2025, a slow-moving frontal boundary brought multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms that caused isolated flash flooding alongside hail and wind damage. A more major flash flood event occurred in April 2024, when 6 to 10 inches of rain—with localized higher amounts—fell across Tallahassee during the late night and early morning hours. This caused rapid water rises that flooded numerous cars and structures, including the Godby High School campus, resulting in several million dollars in flood damage.
Federal insurance claims data shows significant risk across multiple zones. Zone A recorded the highest volume with 574 claims, averaging an $18,538 payout and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Zone X properties experienced 279 claims with an average payout of $17,305 and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches. Zone X Unshaded properties recorded 103 claims averaging $12,266 with an average water depth of 4 inches, while Zone V recorded 35 claims averaging $13,338 with a 2-inch average water depth. Homeowners and real estate agents in Zone A and Zone X should pay the closest attention, as these areas account for the vast majority of historical flood insurance claims and notable recorded water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
15% of Leon County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
719 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 7 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 1994, with 181 claims and $2.2M paid.
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.
86 NOAA storm reports from Leon County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Florida flood stories →
36 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 14 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.
157 since 1996: 98 flash floods and 32 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 9, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | $14.0M |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | $3.0M |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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.
Flash Flood · Sep 27, 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…
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…
Flood · Apr 12, 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 Leon 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.