78 flood insurance claims·$1.2M paid·1 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 Henry 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 related heavy rainfall dominate the flood history of Henry County, accounting for 14 tropical storm events alongside 5 floods, 5 flash floods, and 3 hurricanes over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Recent impacts are tied to major tropical systems, such as September 2020 when Tropical Storm Sally dropped 2 to 8 inches of rain, and September 2024 when Hurricane Helene brought widespread rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches and wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph. Flash flooding also occurred in August 2023 due to tropical moisture ahead of Hurricane Idalia.
NFIP claims data demonstrates that flood risk extends beyond designated high-risk areas. Zone X recorded the highest number of claims at 53, with an average payout of $26,058 and an average recorded water depth of 42 inches. Zone A properties experienced 22 claims, averaging $24,331 with an average recorded water depth of 37 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 1 claim averaging $4,346 with an average water depth of 2 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN recorded 1 claim averaging $20,000 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Zone X_SHADED recorded 1 claim with $0 payout and 0 inches of recorded water depth. Homeowners in both Zone X and Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood risk given the high volume and severity of past claims in these areas.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
8% of Henry County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
24 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 37 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 2024, with 16 claims and $592,550 paid, the year of Hurricane Helene.
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.
9 NOAA storm reports from Henry County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Jan 12, 2023 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2000 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
27 since 1996: 5 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2023 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2019 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $250,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 4, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Sep 21, 2009 | $250,000 |
— = 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…
Flash Flood · Aug 28, 2023. Thunderstorms formed along a stationary boundary located draped across west-central and northwest GA on the 28th and 29th. Significant tropical moisture ahead of Hurricane Idalia led to several thunderstorms becoming strong to severe. The main hazards included damaging winds and torrential rainfall.
Tropical Storm · Oct 28, 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 · Sep 17, 2020. A weakening Tropical Storm Sally moved into Georgia on September 16th, spreading heavy rainfall amounts and producing damaging winds in north and central Georgia. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 8 inches occurred, with the axis of heaviest rainfall extending from near Columbus, to Macon, to Augusta. The highest winds were observed in the metro Atlanta area as Sally's convective bands moved through late on September 16th.
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 Henry 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.