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 Stewart 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 hurricanes dominate the severe weather and flood history of Stewart County. According to NOAA records from the last thirty years, tropical storms are the most frequent severe weather events with 14 occurrences, alongside two hurricanes, two standard floods, and one flash flood.
Major regional tropical systems have significantly impacted the area. For example, Hurricane Michael moved rapidly inland through south and central Georgia on October 10, 2018, as a high-end Category 4 storm after making landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida. Similarly, Tropical Storm Zeta swept across Georgia from October 28 to October 29, 2020, producing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding. Other notable regional storms include the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee in September 2011 and Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated near waterways, low-lying areas, and zones susceptible to heavy rainfall and wind-driven flooding generated by decaying tropical systems moving inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4 NOAA storm reports from Stewart County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Dec 22, 2015 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Mar 1, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 1 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $50,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 4, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Dec 14, 2009 | $3,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2009 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 21, 2008 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Aug 29, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Tropical Storm · Oct 28, 2020. During the late evening of October 28th through the morning of October 29th, Tropical Storm Zeta swept rapidly across north Georgia producing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding across north and portions of central Georgia. Around 1.5 million customers lost electricity for some period of time, some for several days.
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…
Tropical Storm · Sep 11, 2017. On the morning of August 30th Tropical Storm Irma developed rapidly over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, just west of the Cape Verde Islands. Tropical Irma quickly strengthened as it moved west, reaching hurricane strength by the morning of August 31st. Hurricane Irma continued to move steadily westward across the Atlantic Ocean, intensifying to category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale as it approached the norther…
Tropical Storm · Sep 4, 2011. Tropical Storm Lee moved slowly onshore the Louisiana coast on Friday September 2nd and then grudgingly moved northeast through Sunday September 4th before finally becoming caught up in an eastward advancing upper trough and associated frontal system. The remnants of Lee tracked across central Mississippi, central and northern Alabama, and into northern Georgia on the 5th before moving northeast of the area early…
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 Stewart 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.