Enter any address in Habersham County, Georgia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding and general flooding events have been the most frequent types of flooding in Habersham County over the past 30 years, with 23 flash flood events and 21 flood events recorded. Recent examples include flooding on January 9, 2024, when widespread rainfall of 3 to 5 inches caused flooding along larger streams. Heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Cyclone Helene also produced flooding in September 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the majority of claims, with an average payout of $93,820 and an average water depth of 2.6 feet. While Zone X has had fewer claims, they still occurred. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as 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.
18 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Habersham County, Georgia has recorded 46 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 23 flash floods and 21 river or area floods. The county has received 21 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 (1976–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 29, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 27, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 300.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Mar 26, 2021 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Aug 17, 2021 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 17, 2021 | 2.00K |
| Flood | Oct 7, 2021 | 0.50K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 500.00K |
| Flood | Oct 11, 2020 | 10.00K |
Flood — 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 ...
Flash Flood — 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 ...
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 9, 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 — Mar 26, 2021
Multiple waves of showers and thunderstorms moved over northeast Georgia in association with a warm front throughout the 25th into the 26th. Total rainfall of 3 to 7 inches resulted in flooding developing on the Soque River while a couple of thunderstorm line segments produced damaging wind gusts during the early morning of the 26th.
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 Habersham 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 Habersham 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.