40 flood insurance claims·$902,055 paid·3 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 Early 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 Early County, supported by nine tropical storm events, nine flash flood events, three general flood events, and two hurricane events over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Recent recorded events illustrate these patterns. In February 2024, a line of thunderstorms trained across the region, producing rainfall amounts around five inches in Georgia and causing considerable flash flooding. Later, in September 2024, Hurricane Helene tracked inland after making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing severe impacts to the area.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that property owners in Zone A face the heaviest risk, accounting for 32 claims with an average payout of $32,548 and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN, Zone X, and Zone V have also recorded claims, with average payouts ranging from $4,495 to $22,345 and average recorded water depths between 0 and 10 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents working in designated high-risk zones, particularly Zone A, should pay the most attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Early County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
33 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 11 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 2015, with 10 claims and $370,256 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.
19 NOAA storm reports from Early County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Jan 2, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Mar 26, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Ivan | Sep 14, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
23 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 3, 2025 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 12, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 18, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2023 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2022 | $3,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 3, 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.
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 produced a devastat…
Flash Flood · Feb 12, 2024. A line of thunderstorms trained across parts of the tri-state area, bringing flash flooding to portions of southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia. Considerable flash flooding occurred across Houston county, Alabama where rainfall amounts near 7 inches were measured in just a few hours. In Georgia, rainfall amounts around 5 inches were observed. For the Florida panhandle, rainfall amounts were not as high, but…
Flash Flood · Mar 9, 2024. A line of thunderstorms moved through the tri-state area ahead of a cold front. Severe weather and flash flooding accompanied this line, mainly across southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia, although a few trees were also blown down in northwest Florida. One tornado was reported in Dale County, AL, and another tornado briefly occurred in northeast Leon County, FL extending into Jefferson county, FL.
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 Early 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.