16 flood insurance claims·$443,162 paid·6 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 Brooks 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and heavy rainfall systems dominates the flood character of Brooks County. According to NOAA Storm Events Database records from the last 30 years, the area experienced 17 flash flood events, 12 tropical storms, 6 general floods, and 3 hurricanes. Recent events include a flash flood driven by a moist airmass and weak steering flow in August 2025, and a major flash flood event between April 10th and 11th, 2024, which brought 6 to 10 inches of rain with localized higher amounts, rapid water rises, and millions of dollars in damage across portions of southern Georgia and the Florida Big Bend.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that historical claims vary significantly by flood zone. Zone A experienced 9 claims with an average payout of $58,620 and an average recorded water depth of 31 inches. Zone X recorded 5 claims with an average payout of $36,845 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $2,686 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches.
Homeowners and real estate agents with properties located in Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood risk, as these areas experience significantly deeper water depths and higher average payouts during flood 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 21 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 2013, with 4 claims and $50,515 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.
25 NOAA storm reports from Brooks County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Hurricane Idalia | Aug 30, 2023 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jan 21, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Mar 26, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
38 since 1996: 17 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 2, 2025 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | $10.0M |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 7, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 2024 | $20,000 |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Aug 30, 2023 | $5.0M |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 2, 2025. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms developed in a summertime airmass with a couple of severe storms occurring in Lowndes county with impacts to trees and power lines. In addition, a very moist airmass and weak steering flow led to flash flooding across portions of southwest Georgia.
Hurricane (Typhoon) · Sep 26, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastat…
Flash Flood · Apr 11, 2024. A major flash flood event occurred across portions of the Florida big bend and southern Georgia during the late night hours of April 10th through the early morning hours of April 11th. Between 6 and 10 inches of rain fell with localized higher amounts, particularly over Tallahassee. This resulted in rapid water rises across Tallahassee with numerous cars and structures flooded. Several million dollars in flood…
Flash Flood · Nov 7, 2024. A line of slow moving thunderstorms developed along a surface boundary across the Valdosta area and moved repeatedly over the same areas during the evening and overnight hours of November 6th. A record moist airmass for November standards was in place with dewpoints in the mid to upper 70s and precipitable water values well above 2 inches. This resulted in extremely heavy rainfall amounts centered over the Valdo…
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 Brooks 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.