4 flood insurance claims·$7,004 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 Taylor 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 heavy rainfall dominate the flood risk profile of Taylor County, accompanied by regular flash flooding and river flood events. Over the last 30 years, recorded events include 14 tropical storms, 6 floods, 4 flash floods with 1 death, and 2 hurricanes.
Historical impacts are well-documented by major regional storms. In October 2018, Hurricane Michael moved inland across Georgia as a high-end Category 4 storm after making landfall at Mexico Beach, producing widespread wind damage. Earlier, in July 2017, a stalled frontal boundary dropped over 4 inches of rainfall, resulting in isolated flash flooding across the area. Tropical Storm Zeta also swept across the region in October 2020, causing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed in both moderate-to-low risk and high-risk areas. Zone X properties recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $3,502 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone A properties recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated high-risk zones and moderate-to-low risk Zone X 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 2 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 2015, with 1 claims and $3,535 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.
9 NOAA storm reports from Taylor County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 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 Flooding | Sep 18, 2009 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Mar 1, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 4 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 24, 2017 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $100,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 4, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Sep 18, 2009 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Sep 18, 2009 | $125,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2009 | $25,000 |
— = 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…
Flash Flood · Jul 24, 2017. With a very moist air mass persisting across the region, a stalled frontal boundary across north Georgia produced scattered reports of damaging winds and very heavy rainfall. Isolated flash flooding occurred, particularly where rainfall amounts topped 4 inches.
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…
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 Taylor 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.