Enter any address in Rabun County, Georgia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding in Rabun County, GA, with 18 such events recorded in the last 30 years. Other flood types, including general floods and tropical storm impacts, have also occurred. For example, Tropical Cyclone Helene produced widespread heavy rain and flooding in September 2024, and a stalled frontal zone led to flash flooding in the Tallulah River basin in September 2022.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced a significant number of claims, with an average payout of $14,633 and an average water depth of 9.1 feet. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED have also seen claims, with a higher average payout of $18,735, though with a much deeper average water depth of 50.2 feet. Homeowners and real estate agents should pay particular attention to properties located in or near these flood zones, especially those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE).
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
14 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Rabun County, Georgia has recorded 34 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 18 flash floods and 14 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1974–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Mar 25, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 29, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 27, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 27, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 0.50K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2022 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Oct 7, 2021 | 1.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 11, 2020 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 11, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 2.00K |
Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Tropical Storm — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flash Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flash Flood — Sep 5, 2022
Heavy rain fell off and on throughout the first few days of September in the vicinity of a stalled frontal zone. A period of heavy rain during the morning of the 5th resulted in 1 to 2.5 inches in just a few hours across southern Rabun County, resulting in isolated flash flooding in the Tallulah River basin.
Flood — Oct 7, 2021
A slow moving area of upper level low pressure over the Mid-Mississippi Valley pumped semi-tropical weather into north Georgia for a couple of days, resulting in occasional rounds of moderate to heavy in the day leading up to the 7th. Scattered slow-moving thunderstorm clusters developed over the Piedmont during the morning of the 7th, producing torrential rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per ho...
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 Rabun 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 Rabun 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.