700 flood insurance claims·$16.7M paid·3 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 Lee 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 driven by summer thunderstorms and heavy rainfall dominates the flood history of Lee County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 24 flash flood events, alongside 11 general flood events, 7 tropical storms, and 2 hurricanes. Recent impacts include a flash flood event in August 2025 caused by a moist airmass and weak steering flow, as well as a major regional flash flood event between April 10 and 11, 2024, which brought 6 to 10 inches of rain and caused rapid water rises, flooded structures, and millions of dollars in damage across southern Georgia and the Florida Big Bend.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood risks affect properties across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for the highest volume with 478 claims, averaging $29,254 per payout and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. Zone X properties have experienced 161 claims with an average payout of $21,703 and an average water depth of 7 inches. Zone X_SHADED properties recorded an average payout of $64,279 with an average water depth of 35 inches across 3 claims. Homeowners and real estate agents in high-risk Zone A, as well as properties in shaded Zone X areas experiencing significant average water depths, should pay the closest attention to flood risk and mitigation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Lee County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
482 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 9 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 257 claims and $4.8M 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.
37 NOAA storm reports from Lee County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Mar 26, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 1998 |
| Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(trop Storm Alberto) | Jul 3, 1994 |
| Severe Storms, Tornaodes & Flooding | Feb 10, 1990 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
44 since 1996: 24 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 12, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 10, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 4, 2025. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms developed in a summertime airmass with a couple of severe storms occurring in Lowndes county with impacts to trees and power lines. In addition, a very moist airmass and weak steering flow led to flash flooding across portions of southwest Georgia.
Flash Flood · Sep 27, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastat…
Tropical Storm · Sep 26, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastat…
Flash Flood · Feb 12, 2024. A line of thunderstorms trained across parts of the tri-state area, bringing flash flooding to portions of southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia. Considerable flash flooding occurred across Houston county, Alabama where rainfall amounts near 7 inches were measured in just a few hours. In Georgia, rainfall amounts around 5 inches were observed. For the Florida panhandle, rainfall amounts were not as high, but…
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 Lee 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.