9 flood insurance claims·$146,211 paid·5 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 Cook 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 Cook County, with NOAA records indicating 10 tropical storm events, 9 flash flood events, 2 hurricane events, and 2 general flood events over the last 30 years. Recent impacts include a flash flood event reported in May 2024 from strong storms ahead of a cold front, followed by the inland impacts of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which moved northward from Florida into South Central Georgia.
National Flood Insurance Program records reflect the localized nature of these risks. Properties located in Zone A account for the vast majority of claims with 8 filed, resulting in an average payout of $35,427 and an average recorded water depth of 25 inches. By contrast, Zone X recorded only 1 claim with an average payout of $4,504 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties situated in Zone A, where historical claims demonstrate significantly higher flood depths and financial loss compared to minimal-risk areas.
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 17 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 2009, with 3 claims and $135,091 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds.
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.
13 NOAA storm reports from Cook County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 5 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.
23 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | $50.0M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 17, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | $5.0M |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 8, 2025. Strong to severe storms ahead of a cold front brought impacts to trees and power lines to portions of Early and Randolph counties. In addition, flash flooding was reported in Cook county.
Flash Flood · Jun 30, 2024. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon, typical of summertime. A few trees were blown down with the strongest storms. In addition, slow moving storms produced localized flash flooding.
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 · Jul 25, 2024. Slow moving thunderstorms produced localized flash flooding across the area.
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 Cook 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.