Enter any address in Elbert County, Georgia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Elbert County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 16 flash flood events and 10 general flood events, alongside one tropical storm. Recent examples include flooding along Beaverdam Creek in January 2023 following 3 to 4.5 inches of rain, and widespread flooding in January 2024 from a frontal system that dropped 3 to 5 inches of rain.
Residents living in areas prone to rapid water level rises, such as those near creeks and larger streams, should be particularly aware of flood risks. Additionally, homeowners with properties in zones where flood risk is not precisely known, as indicated by FEMA's "Zone UNKNOWN" category, should exercise caution.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
9 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Elbert County, Georgia has recorded 27 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 16 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 24, 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 Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Ivan | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2004 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 1.50M |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Jan 4, 2023 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Oct 7, 2021 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 7, 2021 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Feb 7, 2020 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 30, 2015 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 30, 2015 | 1.00K |
Tropical Storm — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flood — Jan 10, 2024
A major/complex frontal system brought widespread rain with embedded thunderstorms to northeast Georgia, mainly during the late morning and afternoon of the 9th. Widespread rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches (with locally higher amounts) in around 12 hours resulted in flooding along a couple of larger streams.
Flood — Jan 4, 2023
Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico combined with a dynamic frontal system to produce a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rain across northeast Georgia throughout the third and into the morning of the fourth. By the time the rain tapered off, 3 to 4.5 inches had fallen across much of the Piedmont. This resulted in flooding along Beaverdam Creek in Elbert County.
Flood — Oct 7, 2021
A slow moving area of upper level low pressure over the Mid-Mississippi Valley pumped semi-tropical weather into north Georgia for a couple of days, resulting in occasional rounds of moderate to heavy in the day leading up to the 7th. Scattered slow-moving thunderstorm clusters developed over the Piedmont during the morning of the 7th, producing torrential rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per ho...
Flash Flood — Oct 7, 2021
A slow moving area of upper level low pressure over the Mid-Mississippi Valley pumped semi-tropical weather into north Georgia for a couple of days, resulting in occasional rounds of moderate to heavy in the day leading up to the 7th. Scattered slow-moving thunderstorm clusters developed over the Piedmont during the morning of the 7th, producing torrential rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per ho...
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 Elbert 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 Elbert 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.