46 flood insurance claims·$733,454 paid·5 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 Hall 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 and tropical storm impacts dominate the flood history of Hall County, Georgia. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 19 flash flood events, 17 tropical storm events, 8 general flood events, and 3 hurricane events. Recent tropical activity significantly impacted the area, as demonstrated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which brought wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph and widespread rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches across north and central Georgia due to prolonged heavy rain.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood claims are not limited to designated high-risk areas. Zone X accumulated 35 claims with an average payout of $34,963 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, Zone A recorded 9 claims with an average payout of $17,081 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN logged 2 claims averaging a $1,636 payout with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located in Zone X, which accounted for the majority of historical NFIP claims and higher average payout amounts, as well as properties situated in Zone A.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 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 2013, with 13 claims and $47,954 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.
24 NOAA storm reports from Hall County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | Oct 29, 2020 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2000 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
47 since 1996: 19 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2021 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2021 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 10, 2020 | — |
— = 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 · Sep 26, 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…
Flash Flood · Jun 16, 2023. Beginning on the 14th of June, numerous thunderstorms tracked across north and central Georgia. A cluster of severe storms resulted in widespread reports of damaging wind and large hail in a swath from northern Troup county to Henry/Butts County (south of Atlanta). Additional strong to severe storms moved across our far southern counties in central GA during the morning hours of June 15th. Little to no damage was…
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 Hall 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.