Enter any address in Palm Beach County, Florida to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flood recorded in Palm Beach County over the last 30 years. This includes 47 flash flood events, some of which have resulted in fatalities. Other significant flood-related events include 52 general flood events, 34 coastal flood events, and 13 hurricane events, which have also caused deaths. For example, on October 26, 2025, a frontal boundary combined with tropical moisture led to excessive rainfall and flooding across Southeast Florida.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $7,265 and an average water depth of 0.7 feet. Zone X_SHADED properties also show a significant number of claims. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X which has a higher average payout and water depth, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
118 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Palm Beach County, Florida has recorded 215 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 47 flash floods and 52 river or area floods. The county has received 41 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 (1965–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Milton | Hurricane | Oct 5, 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 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Hurricane | Aug 28, 2019 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 4, 2017 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2025 | 35.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2025 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2025 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2025 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 21, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 11, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 9, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 8, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Oct 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Oct 26, 2025
A frontal boundary retreating across South Florida and ample low-level tropical moisture allowed for showers and thunderstorms to produce excessive rainfall on the evening of October 26 into the early overnight of October 27 which led to flooding over portions of Southeast Florida.
Flood — Sep 21, 2025
Ample moisture, a surface boundary north of the area, and diurnal heating combined to support thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall over Southeast Florida on the 21st of September.
Coastal Flood — Oct 11, 2025
Localized coastal flooding and hazardous beach conditions occurred along the coast of South Florida due to astronomically higher-than-normal high tides and swell in the Atlantic in mid October 2025.
Flood — Oct 9, 2025
A frontal boundary slowly moving across the region, sufficient low-level moisture, and astronomically higher-than-normal high tides combined to create a scenario where localized flooding emerged on the evening of October 9th into the 10th over portions of Southeast Florida.
Flood — Sep 8, 2025
A stationary surface boundary over South Florida with influence from a deep mid and upper level trough over the eastern United States led to diurnal showers and thunderstorms which produced heavy rainfall on the 8th and 9th of September.
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 Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach 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.