Enter any address in Sarasota County, Florida to see its FEMA flood zone
Flooding from tropical systems is the primary flood hazard in Sarasota County, FL. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 34 flood events, 12 tropical storm events, 6 hurricane events resulting in 8 deaths, and 4 storm surge/tide events. Recent events include Hurricane Milton, which made landfall near Siesta Key in October 2024 as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing significant storm surge and heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that Zone A, typically areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding, has seen the highest number of claims at 9,402, with an average payout of $63,675 and an average water depth of 4.3 feet. Zone V, coastal areas with high-velocity wave action, has had 920 claims with an average payout of $62,415 and an average water depth of 3.0 feet. Properties in coastal areas, particularly those in Zone A and Zone V, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
39 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Sarasota County, Florida has recorded 66 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 10 flash floods and 34 river or area floods. The county has received 48 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1968–2024)
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 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 11, 2024 | 10.00M |
| Flood | Jun 11, 2024 | 750.00K |
| Flood | Jun 11, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Oct 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Oct 9, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2024 | 0.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flood | Sep 30, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 28, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jun 11, 2024
Deep tropical moisture associated with a tropical disturbance centered just offshore Tampa Bay produces 5-8 inches of rain with locally higher amounts leading to flooding across parts of Sarasota County. An isolated multi-day total of 12.87 inches reported near Siesta Key along coastal Sarasota County represented the maximum observed total associated with the event.
Storm Surge/Tide — Oct 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton made landfall along the west-central Florida coast near Siesta Key at 7:30 PM EST on October 9th as a major, Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and a minimum pressure of 954 mb. 2 days prior to landfall on October 7th, Milton reached its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and a minimum pressure of 897 mb, m...
Flash Flood — Oct 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton made landfall along the west-central Florida coast near Siesta Key at 7:30 PM EST on October 9th as a major, Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and a minimum pressure of 954 mb. 2 days prior to landfall on October 7th, Milton reached its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and a minimum pressure of 897 mb, m...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Oct 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton made landfall along the west-central Florida coast near Siesta Key at 7:30 PM EST on October 9th as a major, Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and a minimum pressure of 954 mb. 2 days prior to landfall on October 7th, Milton reached its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and a minimum pressure of 897 mb, m...
Tropical Storm — Aug 4, 2024
Hurricane Debby made landfall north of the local area along the Big Bend region of Florida near Steinhatchee around 7 AM EST on August 5th as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and a minimum pressure of 979 mb. Despite Debby���s track west of the Florida peninsula, impacts overspread the area from coastal locations spreading inland.|Storm surge affected the imme...
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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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.