382 flood insurance claims·$3.4M paid·4 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 Floyd 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 dominates the flood character of Floyd County, supported by 35 flash flood events, 13 tropical storm events, 12 flood events resulting in 1 death, and 3 hurricane events recorded over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall associated with frontal boundaries and convective activity frequently drives these incidents. For example, a shortwave riding along a frontal boundary produced rainfall amounts above 4 inches in portions of the county and resulted in flash flooding in the city of Rome on July 10, 2023. Additionally, a surface boundary caused isolated flash flooding on July 30, 2022.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located in Zone A, which accounts for the highest volume of claims at 199 claims with an average payout of $10,07 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Residents in Zone X_UNSHADED should also note significant risk, having recorded 65 claims with an average payout of $18,039 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches, followed by properties in Unknown, Zone X, and Zone X_SHADED zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
29% of Floyd County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
279 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 4 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 1979, with 107 claims and $619,203 paid, the year of Rain, Flooding, Mudslide.
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.
27 NOAA storm reports from Floyd County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Apr 27, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2000 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
63 since 1996: 35 flash floods and 12 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2023 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2023 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 25, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2021 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 10, 2023. A shortwave riding along a frontal boundary produced heavy rainfall over north Georgia on the morning of July 10. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were common over northwest Georgia, with portions of Floyd county receiving above 4 inches. Although convective activity diminished into the pre-dawn hours as this system moved southward into Atlanta, it was not before flash flooding was reported in the city of Rome.
Flash Flood · Jul 30, 2022. A surface boundary sagged southward during the afternoon of July 29th and served as a catalyst for development of isolated strong to severe storms through July 30th across portions of North Georgia, including the Atlanta metro. These storms produced isolated reports of trees down causing structural damage and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Mar 25, 2021. A very moist and moderately unstable airmass over the region combined with strong shear and persistent southwesterly mid and upper flow produced numerous showers and thunderstorms across north and parts of central Georgia through the day on the 25th into the morning of the 26th. Numerous reports of flooding were received with several reports of severe thunderstorms and a few isolated tornadoes. Rainfall amounts of…
Flash Flood · Jul 20, 2021. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms produced widespread heavy rain over north and central Georgia on the evening of July 19th and 20th. Rainfall amounts ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with pockets of 3 to 5 inches over northeast Georgia and the Atlanta metro area. As a result, flash flooding occurred, including several reports of water rescues. These rainfall amounts occurred during a prolonged persistent period of ab…
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 Floyd 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.