32 flood insurance claims·$460,932 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 Montgomery 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 standard floods dominate the historical event mix in Montgomery County, supplemented by flash floods and hurricanes.
Recent impacts are well-documented by major tropical systems. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought widespread rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches and wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph to portions of east and central Georgia. Earlier, in August 2023, Hurricane Idalia brought 3 to 6 inches of rain and tropical storm-force winds gusting between 40 and 50 mph, causing damage to trees and powerlines across Montgomery and surrounding counties.
Property owners and real estate agents should pay the closest attention to locations within Zone A, which accounts for the highest claim volume with 16 claims, an average payout of $23,021, and an average recorded water depth of 19 inches. Residents in Zone UNKNOWN and unshaded Zone X areas should also take note, as they have recorded 11 claims (average 13 inches of water, average $12,098 payout) and 4 claims (average 10 inches of water, average $7,752 payout) respectively.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Montgomery County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
20 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 14 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 2020, with 7 claims and $128,905 paid.
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.
14 NOAA storm reports from Montgomery County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
21 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 Idalia | Aug 30, 2023 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Dec 22, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Mar 26, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
29 since 1996: 4 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | $30,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 25, 2017 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $50,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 7, 2016 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 Storm · Aug 30, 2023. Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a category 3 hurricane. As Idalia moved inland to the northeast, it brought tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain to much of south Georgia, including far southeast counties of NWS Peachtree City CWFA (Telfair to Toombs county) where winds gusted between 40-50 mph and 3 to 6 inches of rain occurred. Damage to trees and powerlines was observed i…
Flash Flood · Aug 20, 2020. A deepening upper-level trough along with a moist and moderately unstable air mass resulted in scattered strong to severe thunderstorms each afternoon and evening, mainly along a stationary frontal boundary across north Georgia. Slow-moving and training storms produced 2.5 to 5 inches of rain in localized areas, producing flash flooding during the evening of August 20th.
Tropical Storm · Oct 10, 2018. Hurricane Michael made landfall along the Florida panhandle at Mexico beach (just southeast of Panama City) on the afternoon of October 10, 2018 as a high-end Category 4 hurricane (max winds of 155 MPH). Michael then moved rapidly inland, causing widespread wind damage along its path as it swept northeast across south and central Georgia. Hurricane Michael was the first major hurricane, category 3 or higher, to di…
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 Montgomery 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.