Enter any address in Decatur County, Georgia to see its FEMA flood zone
Tropical storm activity is the most frequent type of flooding event in Decatur County, GA, with 13 occurrences in the last 30 years. This is followed by flash floods (10 events) and general floods (6 events). Major storms like Hurricane Helene in September 2024 and Hurricane Idalia in August 2023 have impacted the region.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with 118 claims averaging $27,477 and an average water depth of 5.9 feet. Zone X also has a significant number of claims, with 38 averaging $21,676 and 4.9 feet of water. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in Zone X, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
21 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Decatur County, Georgia has recorded 31 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 10 flash floods and 6 river or area floods. The county has received 19 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 (1966–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Michael | Hurricane | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Mar 26, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | Hurricane | Sep 3, 2004 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2022 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 16, 2021 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Oct 10, 2018 | 300.00M |
| Flash Flood | Dec 1, 2018 | 0.00K |
Tropical Storm — 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...
Tropical Storm — Aug 30, 2023
Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the morning of August 30th along the coast of Taylor County Florida near Keaton Beach at approximately 745 am EDT. The hurricane made landfall with estimated sustained winds of 125 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, the first major hurricane on record to make landfall in this portion of Florida. Hurricane Idalia mo...
Tropical Storm — Nov 10, 2022
Tropical Storm Nicole moved across the Florida Peninsula and turned northwestward, moving across the Florida Big Bend into southern Georgia. Wind and rain impacts were relatively minimal. No flooding was reported, and wind damage consisted mainly of a few trees down with sporadic power outages.
Flash Flood — Aug 8, 2022
A typical summertime pattern prevailed with scattered afternoon thunderstorms across the tri-state region. A few storms produced damaging wind gusts with impacts to trees and power lines along with heavy rain which resulted in localized flooding.
Flash Flood — Jun 3, 2022
A typical summertime pattern prevailed with scattered afternoon thunderstorms across the tri-state region. There were a few reports of wind damage with the strongest storms.
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 Decatur County, Georgia:
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 Decatur County, Georgia 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.