13 flood insurance claims·$101,529 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 Stephens 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 heavy rainfall dominates the flood history of Stephens County, accounting for 10 of the 16 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 5 general floods and 1 tropical storm.
Severe weather impacts are well-documented in local records. On April 19, 2019, slow-moving thunderstorms and heavy rain dropped 3.5 to 6 inches of rain in a few hours, resulting in flash flooding. Later, Tropical Storm Zeta brought wind gusts of 35 to 60 mph on October 29, 2020, knocking down numerous trees that damaged structures and vehicles.
NFIP insurance claims reflect risk across multiple zones. Properties in high-risk Zone A recorded 6 claims with an average payout of $20,721 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $12,749 and an average recorded water depth of 18 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 2 claims averaging $13,328 with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN recorded 1 claim averaging $541 with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners in mapped special flood hazard areas like Zone A and moderate-to-low risk zones experiencing deep localized water accumulation, such as Zone X, should pay the closest attention to these risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 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 2009, with 8 claims and $93,547 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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Stephens County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | Oct 29, 2020 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 18, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 24, 2010 | — |
| Flood | Sep 20, 2009 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 20, 2009 | $4.5M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 19, 2009 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Tropical Storm · Oct 29, 2020. Tropical Storm Zeta moved quickly from near the mouth of the Mississippi River to the southern Appalachians during the night of the 28th into the morning of the 29th. This resulted in frequent wind gusts of 35 to 50 mph, with occasional gusts as high as 60 mph across northeast Georgia throughout the morning. Numerous trees were blown down across the area, with hundreds of downed trees reported in some counties. Mu…
Flash Flood · Apr 19, 2019. A large area of moderate to heavy rain showers, along with embedded clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms moved slowly across northeast Georgia throughout the morning and into the afternoon of the 19th ahead of a slow-moving cold front. Some of the storms produced locally damaging winds, some of which were significant. However, the larger impact was from flash flooding resulting from a swath of 3.5 to 6 inche…
Flash Flood · Aug 7, 2013. Slow moving thunderstorms developed in a very moist, low shear airmass over northeast Georgia. A small area of flash flooding was reported in association with the storms.
Flash Flood · Jan 24, 2010. Widespread heavy rain affected the region ahead of a slow moving cold front. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 4 inches were common across northeast Georgia. Flash flooding developed as a result of the heavy rain falling on already saturated ground.
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 Stephens 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.