Enter any address in Bladen County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding recorded in Bladen County. Recent examples include significant rainfall and flooding in August 2024, associated with the remnants of Hurricane Debby, and another flash flood event in September 2024, linked to a slow-moving tropical system. These events have resulted in numerous National Flood Insurance Program claims, particularly in Zone A, where the average payout was over $52,000 with an average water depth of 2.7 feet.
Properties located in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED should pay particular attention to flood risk. Zone A areas experienced the highest number of claims and substantial water depths. While Zone X_UNSHADED had fewer claims, the average payout was significantly higher, suggesting potential for substantial damage. Homeowners in these zones, and those with properties not meeting the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), are advised to be aware of their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
40 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Bladen County, North Carolina has recorded 63 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 48 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 27 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2026)
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 Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 28, 2022 |
| 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 |
| Hurricane Florence | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2018 |
| Hurricane Matthew | Hurricane | Oct 4, 2016 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2025 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 4.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 6, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jun 20, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2018 | 10.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 11, 2025
Record high levels of moisture paired with a mid level disturbance produce corridors of heavy rainfall and flooding.
Flash Flood — Sep 16, 2024
Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 located off the SC coast was classified by the National Hurricane Center on September 15 and a Tropical Storm Warning was issued for the entire coast of southeast NC and northeast SC at that time. The system slowly moved toward the coast but never became organized enough to be classified as a tropical (or subtropical) cyclone, eventually moving inland around the NC...
Flash Flood — Aug 8, 2024
After making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on August 5, Debby weakened to a tropical storm as it slowly moved across southeastern Georgia and offshore before making another landfall along the central SC coast between Charleston and Georgetown. The storm then moved northwest to near the SC/NC border and weakened to a tropical depression on August 8 before qui...
Flash Flood — Aug 7, 2024
After making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on August 5, Debby weakened to a tropical storm as it slowly moved across southeastern Georgia and offshore before making another landfall along the central SC coast between Charleston and Georgetown. The storm then moved northwest to near the SC/NC border and weakened to a tropical depression on August 8 before qui...
Flash Flood — Aug 4, 2024
A slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding in Bladen County, NC.
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 Bladen 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 Bladen 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.