135 flood insurance claims·$5.0M 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 Lowndes 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 from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Lowndes County, which recorded 85 flash flood events alongside 12 tropical storms, 8 floods, and 3 hurricanes causing 3 deaths over the last 30 years. Recent NOAA storm records document severe flash flooding driven by moist summer airmasses and weak steering flow, such as events in August 2025 and July 2025, as well as a major regional flash flood event on April 11, 2024, that brought 6 to 10 inches of rain, rapid water rises, and millions of dollars in damage.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that flood risks extend across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for 61 claims with an average payout of $47,919 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Zone X properties recorded 52 claims with an average payout of $50,929 and an average recorded water depth of 29 inches. Additionally, Zone X Shaded recorded 13 claims averaging $57,609 with an average depth of 5 inches, while Zone X Unshaded recorded 9 claims averaging $30,219 with an average depth of 18 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated high-risk flood zones and moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas should pay close attention to these historical payout and water depth averages when evaluating property vulnerability.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
27% of Lowndes County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
83 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 17 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 37 claims and $1.8M paid, the year of Hurricane Debby and 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.
74 NOAA storm reports from Lowndes County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Hurricane Idalia | Aug 30, 2023 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jan 21, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Mar 26, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
108 since 1996: 85 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | $500.0M · 2 killed |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 7, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 6, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 23, 2025. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms developed in a summertime airmass with an isolated severe storm occurring in Thomas 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 · Jul 10, 2025. A moist and unstable summer airmass led to the development of scattered afternoon thunderstorms, a few of which were strong to severe.
Flash Flood · Jul 27, 2024. Slow moving thunderstorms produced localized flash flooding across the area.
Hurricane (Typhoon) · 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…
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 Lowndes 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.