49 flood insurance claims·$1.3M paid·6 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 Laurens 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.
Flood risk in Laurens County is defined primarily by regular flood and tropical storm events, complemented by frequent flash flooding and impacts from hurricanes.
Recent impacts are illustrated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which brought prolonged heavy rainfall and wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph as it moved inland following a Category 4 landfall in Florida. Additionally, outer bands from a tropical depression associated with Hurricane Nicole downed trees and powerlines across east-central Georgia in November 2022.
NFIP claim records demonstrate that properties located in Zone A face the highest risk, accounting for 44 claims with an average payout of $31,139 and an average recorded water depth of 21 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood preparedness, as claims are significantly higher here compared to Zone UNKNOWN, Zone X, and Zone X_UNSHADED.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2% of Laurens County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
45 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 21 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 1998, with 25 claims and $885,353 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
31 NOAA storm reports from Laurens County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | May 11, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
49 since 1996: 12 flash floods and 16 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 27, 2024 | — · 2 killed |
| Tropical Depression | Nov 10, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 20, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2020 | $15,000 |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 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…
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 in portions of east-c…
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.
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 Laurens 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.