2 flood insurance claims·$5,839 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 Greene 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 from heavy rainfall dominate the flood risk profile in Greene County, based on historical storm event data. Over a thirty-year period, records show 16 tropical storm events, 7 flash flood events, 2 hurricane events, and 1 standard flood event.
Recent events illustrate these hazards. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought widespread rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches and wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph to portions of Georgia. Earlier, in February 2020, a line of thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches, with localized amounts up to 6 inches, resulting in flash flooding. Tropical Storm Zeta also swept across the region in October 2020, causing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show limited claims history, with two claims recorded in Zone X averaging a payout of $5,839 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Residents and property owners, particularly those in areas susceptible to severe tropical systems and heavy localized downpours, should review their specific property elevations and flood risk profiles.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
7 NOAA storm reports from Greene County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Dec 22, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Apr 27, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 7 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2018 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 23, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 11, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $175,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 4, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Tropical Storm · Sep 27, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida at 11 PM EDT. Helene moved quickly inland bringing wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph to portions of east and central Georgia. Widespread rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches were observed in association with Helene across north and central Georgia. The highest rainfall amounts were primarily observed in portions of east-c…
Tropical Storm · Oct 29, 2020. During the late evening of October 28th through the morning of October 29th, Tropical Storm Zeta swept rapidly across north Georgia producing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding across north and portions of central Georgia. Around 1.5 million customers lost electricity for some period of time, some for several days.
Flash Flood · Feb 6, 2020. A line of thunderstorms ahead of a strong cold front moved into northwest Georgia in the pre-dawn hours and swept across north and central Georgia through the morning into the afternoon producing numerous reports of damaging thunderstorm winds and an isolated tornado. Storms along the front also produced heavy rainfall, ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches, with higher amounts up to 6 inches, particularly over north Georg…
Flash Flood · May 31, 2018. With ample deep moisture persisting across the region, strong afternoon heating aided by a weak upper-level trough resulted in numerous strong thunderstorms across north Georgia with isolated reports of severe thunderstorms producing damaging wind gusts. Heavy rainfall amounts occurred in portions of north and central Georgia, generally in the northeast Georgia mountains, and in the greater Columbus area. In thes…
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 Greene 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.