6 flood insurance claims·$91,966 paid·4 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 Telfair 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 general floods dominate the historical flood event mix in Telfair County, supported by documented impacts from tropical systems moving inland from Florida. Recent historical impacts include Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, which brought tropical storm-force winds, tree and powerline damage, and 3 to 6 inches of rain to the area. Additionally, Hurricane Helene in September 2024 brought widespread heavy rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches and wind gusts between 50 and 100 mph to portions of east and central Georgia.
Federal flood insurance data indicates that historical claims are concentrated in Zone A, which recorded 6 claims with an average water depth of 23 inches and an average payout of $15,328. Residents and property owners with structures located within Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood risk and mitigation, given the recorded flood depths and claim history associated with these areas during major tropical events and heavy rainfall periods.
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 23 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 1998, with 2 claims and $42,301 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.
19 NOAA storm reports from Telfair County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Mar 26, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | Sep 3, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
35 since 1996: 6 flash floods and 9 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | $7,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2023 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 4, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2019 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Hurricane (Typhoon) · 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…
Tropical Storm · Aug 30, 2023. Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a category 3 hurricane. As Idalia moved inland to the northeast, it brought tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain to much of south Georgia, including far southeast counties of NWS Peachtree City CWFA (Telfair to Toombs county) where winds gusted between 40-50 mph and 3 to 6 inches of rain occurred. Damage to trees and powerlines was observed i…
Flash Flood · Mar 4, 2020. During the day on March 4, enhanced moisture over the state produced a swath of heavy rainfall over portions of south and central Georgia. An area of 3 to 6 inches of rain fell over an area stretching from Stewart County eastward to Toombs County. Isolated higher amounts of up to 8 inches, particularly over Stewart County. This heavy rainfall fell on already wet soils, exacerbating the impact. Numerous road closur…
Flash Flood · Jun 12, 2019. Deep moisture and daytime heating produced showers and thunderstorms in the along a stalled boundary in the afternoon and evening of June 12th. Rainfall amounts ranged from 1.5 to 4 inches, and were concentrated along a swath from Abbeville to Toombs in central Georgia. These rainfall amounts produced isolated flash flooding.
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 Telfair 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.