Enter any address in Alleghany County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Alleghany County. Recent events include flash flooding on July 15, 2023, and September 27, 2024, with Hurricane Helene contributing to significant inland impacts.
Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 20 flash flood events and 12 flood events in the county. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $51,943 and an average water depth of 1.1 feet. Zone X properties have also seen claims, averaging $27,387 with 0.5 feet of water depth.
Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those residing near rivers or in areas without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
13 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Alleghany County, North Carolina has recorded 32 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 20 flash floods and 12 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1989–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Tropical Storm Eta | Severe Storm | Nov 12, 2020 |
| Hurricane Isaias | Hurricane | Jul 31, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2019 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 5.00M |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 21, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 46.30K |
| Flood | Sep 17, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, September 26, and moved quickly northward into the southeastern states, and then turned slightly northwestward towards the southern Appalachian Mountains overnight into Friday morning, weakening as it moved over land. Helene���s intensity and fast forward motion led to impacts being felt well inlan...
Flood — Jan 9, 2024
A deep, negatively tilted upper level trough and associated occluded front passed from the central Mississippi River Valley on January 9th toward the lower New England region by the morning of the 10th. Strong southerly wind flow ahead of the upper trough carried deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico northward into the Carolinas and the lower Mid-Atlantic. Precipitable water values ranged from ...
Flash Flood — Jul 15, 2023
Thunderstorms developed, with some becoming severe, as a wave of low pressure passing along the front over western North Carolina served to increase 925 mb and 850 mb winds into the 20 kt-25 kt range from the south, tapping into deep moisture over the eastern Carolinas. By 8 pm EDT, precipitable water values across northwest North Carolina had risen as high as 2.1 inches, which is around 2 stan...
Flash Flood — Aug 6, 2023
Showers and thunderstorms developed across northwest North Carolina to the south of a stationary front draped across northern Virginia into central West Virginia. By early afternoon, a surface trough had developed along the lee side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, providing the lower atmospheric convergence needed to aid in thunderstorm development. A couple of the storms increased to severe lev...
Flood — May 21, 2020
An upper-level low became cut-off over the southern Appalachian region for several days leading to persistent rainfall and eventually some flooding. Four-day (96-hour) rainfall amounts ending at 800 AM EDT on May 22nd ranged from 3 to over 12 inches in the most favored locations along the Blue Ridge. Some of these showers had strong winds associated with them.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Alleghany County, North Carolina:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Alleghany County, North Carolina that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.