11 flood insurance claims·$345,711 paid·2 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 Barrow County, Georgia. 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.
Tropical storms and flash flooding dominate the flood history of Barrow County, based on 13 tropical storm events, 7 flash flood events, 6 general flood events, and 2 hurricane events recorded over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall from cold front thunderstorms produced 1.5 to 6 inches of rain and subsequent flash flooding in February 2020. Additionally, Tropical Storm Zeta swept across north Georgia in October 2020, producing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed in both moderate-to-low risk and high-risk zones. Zone X recorded 10 claims with an average payout of $86,428 and an average recorded water depth of 52 inches. Zone A recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay attention to properties across all designated zones, noting that significant water depths have been documented in lower-risk Zone X properties during past severe weather events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 35 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 2003, with 3 claims and $1,111 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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Barrow County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2000 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
28 since 1996: 7 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $75,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 4, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2010 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 1, 2010 | — |
| Flood | Sep 21, 2009 | $100,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2009 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Tropical Storm · Oct 28, 2020. During the late evening of October 28th through the morning of October 29th, Tropical Storm Zeta swept rapidly across north Georgia producing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding across north and portions of central Georgia. Around 1.5 million customers lost electricity for some period of time, some for several days.
Flash Flood · Feb 6, 2020. A line of thunderstorms ahead of a strong cold front moved into northwest Georgia in the pre-dawn hours and swept across north and central Georgia through the morning into the afternoon producing numerous reports of damaging thunderstorm winds and an isolated tornado. Storms along the front also produced heavy rainfall, ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches, with higher amounts up to 6 inches, particularly over north Georg…
Tropical Storm · Sep 11, 2017. On the morning of August 30th Tropical Storm Irma developed rapidly over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, just west of the Cape Verde Islands. Tropical Irma quickly strengthened as it moved west, reaching hurricane strength by the morning of August 31st. Hurricane Irma continued to move steadily westward across the Atlantic Ocean, intensifying to category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale as it approached the norther…
Tropical Storm · Sep 4, 2011. Tropical Storm Lee moved slowly onshore the Louisiana coast on Friday September 2nd and then grudgingly moved northeast through Sunday September 4th before finally becoming caught up in an eastward advancing upper trough and associated frontal system. The remnants of Lee tracked across central Mississippi, central and northern Alabama, and into northern Georgia on the 5th before moving northeast of the area early…
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 Barrow 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.