Enter any address in Orange County, Florida to see its FEMA flood zone
Orange County experiences a mix of flood events, with tropical storms and associated heavy rainfall being significant contributors. Recent events include Hurricane Milton in October 2024, which brought tropical storm conditions and heavy rainfall across the region, and Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which also produced tropical storm conditions.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a substantial number of claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $40,316 and an average water depth of 4.7 feet. Zone X also has a significant number of claims, with an average payout of $26,529 and an average water depth of 10.2 feet, indicating potential for deep flooding even in areas not designated as high-risk.
Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in Zone X_UNSHADED and Zone UNKNOWN, should pay close attention to flood risk. Properties located in these zones have experienced flood events resulting in claims and varying water depths.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
17 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Orange County, Florida has recorded 25 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 6 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 39 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 (1977–2024)
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 Idalia | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2023 |
| Tropical Storm Idalia | Tropical Storm | Aug 27, 2023 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 9, 2024 | 1.60M (5 deaths) |
| Flood | Oct 9, 2024 | 15.00M |
| Flood | Sep 1, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 29, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 28, 2022 | 206.00M |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 28, 2022 | 0.00K (3 deaths) |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2022 | — (2 deaths) |
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...
Flash Flood — 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...
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...
Flood — 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...
Flood — Sep 1, 2024
Storms produced heavy rainfall and flooded homes and businesses in Orlando.
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 Orange 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 Orange 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.