Enter any address in Laurens County, Georgia to see its FEMA flood zone
Tropical storms and associated heavy rainfall are the dominant flood drivers in Laurens County. Recent events include Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which brought widespread rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches to central Georgia, and Hurricane Nicole, which weakened into a tropical depression in November 2022, causing downed trees and powerlines.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows 39 claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $28,510 and an average water depth of 15.3 feet. One claim in Zone X resulted in an average payout of $10,594 with no reported water depth. Residents in Zone A, and those in areas with a history of flooding, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
31 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Laurens County, Georgia has recorded 49 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 12 flash floods and 16 river or area floods. The county has received 19 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1966–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Michael | Hurricane | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 11, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 27, 2024 | — (2 deaths) |
| Tropical Depression | Nov 10, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 20, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2020 | 15.00K |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Oct 10, 2018 | 0.00K |
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 i...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — 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 i...
Tropical Depression — Nov 10, 2022
During the early hours of November 10th, Hurricane Nicole made landfall along the Atlantic coastline of Florida and quickly weakened into a Tropical Depression as it moved northwestward towards central Georgia. As the system moved inland, outer bands from Nicole produced multiple reports trees and powerlines down across east-central Georgia.
Flash Flood — Sep 20, 2021
Amidst a prolonged wet and soggy period, another round of heavy rainfall over central Georgia triggered isolated flash flooding through the day on September 20th. Though much of the flooding occurred during the first half of the day, another localized report of flash flooding was reported late in the evening with another round of shower activity.
Flood — Apr 23, 2020
The combination of a lifting warm front and a quickly progressing cold front produced heavy rainfall over central Georgia and hail-producing thunderstorms over northeast Georgia from the afternoon of April 23rd through the early morning hours of April 24th. ||Enhanced rainfall fell south of the I-20 corridor, with rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches. These amounts combined with rainfall from earl...
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 Laurens 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 Laurens 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.