63 flood insurance claims·$2.6M 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 Thomas 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 floods dominate the flood history of Thomas County, backed by frequent tropical storms and general flooding events over the last 30 years according to NOAA data.
Severe weather impacts are illustrated by events such as the major flash flood in April 2024, which brought heavy rainfall, rapid water rises, flooded structures, and millions of dollars in damage across portions of southern Georgia and the Florida big bend.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, indicating that both designated high-risk and moderate-to-low-risk areas experience impacts. Zone A accounts for 33 claims with an average payout of $24,913 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches, while Zone X accounts for 25 claims with a higher average payout of $106,950 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Unshaded Zone X properties recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $4,019 and an average water depth of 0 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN logged 1 claim averaging $21,253 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners and real estate agents representing properties in both mapped high-risk zones and standard Zone X areas should pay close attention to these historical payout and water depth patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Thomas County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
37 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 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 2012, with 13 claims and $621,195 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.
33 NOAA storm reports from Thomas County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 4, 2024 |
| Hurricane Idalia | Aug 30, 2023 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jan 21, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Mar 26, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
61 since 1996: 41 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Mar 27, 2024 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 26, 2024 | $5.0M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2024. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in a typical summertime environment. A few trees were blown down, and localized flash flooding occurred with slow storm motions.
Flash Flood · Sep 27, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastat…
Flood · Mar 27, 2024. Steep mid-level lapse rates with sufficient instability ahead of a cold front sparked numerous thunderstorms across the area with severe weather. Most of the reports were in the form of large hail, and wind damage was confined to the Valdosta area. However, significant wind damage did occur in Valdosta due to a downburst.
Hurricane (Typhoon) · Sep 26, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastat…
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 Thomas 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.