Enter any address in Okeechobee County, Florida to see its FEMA flood zone
Okeechobee County experiences a mix of flood events, with tropical storms and general flooding being the most frequent over the last 30 years. Recent events include impacts from Hurricane Milton in October 2024, which brought heavy rainfall and tornadoes, and Hurricane Ian in September 2022, which caused widespread tropical storm-force winds.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that Zone A has had the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $6,219 and an average water depth of 1.7 feet. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED also experienced a significant number of claims, with a higher average payout of $9,801, though the average water depth was 1.2 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and those in areas with higher average water depths should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
13 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Okeechobee County, Florida has recorded 15 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 1 flash floods and 5 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 (1972–2024)
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 |
| Hurricane Isaias | Hurricane | Jul 31, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 9, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 28, 2022 | 1.40M |
| Flood | Sep 27, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 9, 2022 | — |
| Tropical Depression | Nov 8, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 10, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 10, 2017 | 157.00M |
| Tropical Depression | Oct 7, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 28, 2015 | 0.00K |
Tropical Storm — Sep 26, 2024
Major Hurricane Helene paralleled the west coast of Florida about 100 miles offshore before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida near the city of Perry. The system's expansive wind field within its eastern periphery produced a period of tropical storm conditions, particularly in gusts, across much of east central Florida including its adjacent coastal waters. Peak wind gusts ranged...
Tropical Storm — Oct 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton moved ashore the west-central Florida coast as a category 3 hurricane on Oct 9 around 1930EST. The system continued slowly in an east-northeast trajectory across central Florida, becoming a category 1 hurricane before emerging into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral. The outer rainbands of Milton overspread the Florida peninsula earlier in the day, leading to a prolific tor...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Sep 28, 2022
After making landfall as a major hurricane in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa, Ian crossed the peninsula and into east central Florida (southern Osceola County) as a Category 1 Hurricane with estimated maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The system was downgraded to a tropical storm shortly thereafter and emerged into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral. Ian's slow movement and large wind f...
Flood — Sep 27, 2022
After making landfall as a major hurricane in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa, Ian crossed the peninsula and into east central Florida (southern Osceola County) as a Category 1 Hurricane with estimated maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The system was downgraded to a tropical storm shortly thereafter and emerged into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral. Ian's slow movement and large wind f...
Tropical Storm — Nov 9, 2022
Hurricane Nicole made landfall near Vero Beach, Florida as a Category 1 Hurricane on Thursday, November 10, 2023 with estimated maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The system was originally classified as a subtropical storm after forming several hundred miles east of the Bahamas before it gained tropical characteristics as it approached Grand Bahama and Abaco Island. The interplay between Nicole...
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 Okeechobee 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 Okeechobee 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.