80 flood insurance claims·$1.3M paid·8 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 Clarke County, Mississippi. 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 flooding from severe weather events dominates the flood history of Clarke County, Mississippi, accounting for 45 recorded events over the last 30 years alongside multiple tropical storms, hurricanes, and tropical depressions.
Recent occurrences documented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration include severe thunderstorms along a stalled frontal boundary in February 2024, and a slow-moving low pressure system in August 2022 that brought rounds of heavy rain resulting in widespread flooding of roads, homes, and businesses.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood risks affect properties across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for the highest claim volume with 50 claims averaging a $17,368 payout and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. However, properties in Zone X experienced higher severity claims, averaging $35,322 with an average recorded water depth of 13 inches across 14 claims. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 15 claims averaging $17,390 with an average water depth of 3 inches, while Zone V recorded a single claim with an 11,000 payout and an average water depth of 12 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in high-risk zones, as well as those with unverified or moderate-risk Zone X designations, should pay close attention to these historical flood patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Clarke County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
51 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 7 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 2003, with 30 claims and $491,033 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods.
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.
25 NOAA storm reports from Clarke County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Mississippi flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Hurricane Ida | Aug 28, 2021 |
| Hurricane Zeta | Oct 27, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 12, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornado | Dec 27, 2018 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 9, 2016 |
| Hurricane Isaac | Aug 26, 2012 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
54 since 1996: 45 flash floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Feb 12, 2024 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jan 12, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 3, 2023 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jan 3, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2022 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2022 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2022 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2022 | $5,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Feb 12, 2024. Severe thunderstorms occurred across portions of Mississippi along a stalled frontal boundary that had settled into the area.
Flash Flood · Jan 12, 2023. A line of storms produce damaging winds and large hail.
Flash Flood · Jan 3, 2023. A line of storms produce damaging winds and tornadoes.
Flash Flood · Aug 24, 2022. A low pressure system spinning over northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas brought several rounds of showers and thunderstorms producing heavy rain to Mississippi August 24th through 25th. This resulted in widespread flooding of roads, homes, and businesses around the state.
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 Clarke 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.