6 flood insurance claims·$104,131 paid·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 Talbot 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 flash flooding drive the flood risks in Talbot County, which recorded 16 tropical storm events, 11 flash flood events, 4 flood events, and 2 hurricane events over the last 30 years.
Recent weather events illustrate these hazards. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought widespread heavy rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches and wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph to the region. Earlier in the year, persistent thunderstorms on February 12, 2024, dropped 2.5 to 5 inches of rain across central Georgia, resulting in isolated flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data show payouts across different zones. Zone A recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $13,444 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Unshaded Zone X recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $29,729 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Standard Zone X recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $31,230 and an average recorded water depth of 53 inches. Residents and property owners in both designated special flood hazard areas like Zone A and moderate-to-low risk zones should pay close attention to these historical flood patterns.
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 53 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 1994, with 2 claims and $59,457 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.
16 NOAA storm reports from Talbot 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 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | Sep 3, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
33 since 1996: 11 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Feb 12, 2024 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Feb 12, 2024 | $10,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2018 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 23, 2018 | $15,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Tropical Storm · 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…
Flood · Feb 12, 2024. A period of persistent thunderstorms moved through the area with an initial warm front early in the morning and later a weak cold front overnight. Weak instability resulted in mostly benign activity, aside from a single report of each hail and wind damage. Rainfall amounts of 2.5 to 5 inches stretched across central Georgia, with highest amounts along the Georgia-Alabama line, between LaGrange and Columbus. Isolat…
Flash Flood · Feb 12, 2024. A period of persistent thunderstorms moved through the area with an initial warm front early in the morning and later a weak cold front overnight. Weak instability resulted in mostly benign activity, aside from a single report of each hail and wind damage. Rainfall amounts of 2.5 to 5 inches stretched across central Georgia, with highest amounts along the Georgia-Alabama line, between LaGrange and Columbus. Isolat…
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.
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 Talbot 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.