31 flood insurance claims·$240,889 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 Towns 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 driven by tropical systems and heavy summer rain dominate the flood profile of Towns County, Georgia, according to NOAA storm event records from the last 30 years.
Historical events illustrate this risk. The remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto brought persistent moisture and training thunderstorms on May 30, 2018, dropping widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches, while portions of southern Towns County received 6 to 8 inches with locally higher amounts. Later, Tropical Storm Zeta swept across north Georgia on October 29, 2020, producing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding.
Property owners should assess their specific location relative to FEMA flood zones. NFIP data shows that properties in Zone A experienced 24 claims with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches and an average payout of $8,629. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X experienced 7 claims with an average recorded water depth of 5 inches and an average payout of $10,992. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay particular attention to properties in both high-risk Zone A and moderate-to-low risk Zone X, where localized flooding can still result in property damage.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Towns County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
24 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 2018, with 8 claims and $52,037 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.
5 NOAA storm reports from Towns County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1993, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | Oct 29, 2020 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Dec 22, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Ivan | Sep 14, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
23 since 1996: 7 flash floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2018 | $2,500 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2013 | $40,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 4, 2011 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2009 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2009 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 26, 2008 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Tropical Storm · Oct 29, 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.
Flash Flood · May 30, 2018. The remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto continued to impact the region May 29 and early May 30, with persistent enhanced moisture plaguing the region. As bands of showers and thunderstorms encountered the topography of northeast Georgia, the storms became anchored, training and redeveloping over the ridge line. Over the terrain, widespread 3 to 6 inches were observed. Portions of southern Towns County received 6…
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…
Flash Flood · Jul 3, 2013. A broad area of surface low pressure was in place from Alabama through the Ohio Valley, with a strong upper level system over the Missouri Valley. The upper low retrograded to the west during the day on the 3rd while additional deep moisture pushed into the area from the Caribbean. Showers and embedded thunderstorms developed during the afternoon, and with strong winds aloft associated with the upper low, some o…
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 Towns 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.