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 Wilkinson 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 systems and general heavy rain events dominate the flood profile of Wilkinson County, Georgia, led by 13 recorded tropical storms, 5 floods, 3 hurricanes, and 2 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Severe weather impacts have been documented in recent years, including Hurricane Helene in September 2024, which brought widespread rainfall totals between 6 and 14 inches across north and central Georgia following a Category 4 landfall in Florida. Additionally, heavy rainfall from an upper-level low pressure system dropped 4 to 5 inches of rain along a line from Rochelle northeast to Irwinton and Washington on November 15, 2018, causing significant flash flooding over saturated soils.
Property owners and residents in Wilkinson County should pay close attention to local drainage conditions and heavy rainfall forecasts, particularly during the peak of the tropical storm and hurricane seasons when heavy precipitation poses the greatest flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
8 NOAA storm reports from Wilkinson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
16 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 Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | May 11, 2008 |
| 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.
23 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 27, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 28, 2023 | $100,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 15, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $100,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 4, 2011 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 10, 2009 | — |
— = 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…
Flash Flood · Mar 28, 2023. A prolonged, active weather pattern persisted across Georgia through late March, culminating in a series of disturbances that impacted the region March 25th through March 28th. In addition to numerous reports of damaging winds, hail and a few tornadoes, extreme rainfall amounts caused flash flooding over portions of the state. A swath of 4 or more inches of rain stretched from LaGrange, to Forsyth, to Augusta, wit…
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 · Nov 15, 2018. An upper level low pressure system, combined with a series of weak disturbances, provided several waves of precipitation the week of November 11th, producing periods of heavy rain over north and central Georgia. Overnight November 14th into November 15th was particularly wet over east central Georgia as a band of heavy rainfall set up over the area, dumping 4 to 5 inches of rain along a line from Rochelle, northea…
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 Wilkinson 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.