Enter any address in Brunswick County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding in Brunswick County, NC. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 96 recorded flash flood events. For example, in May 2025, showers and thunderstorms caused flash flooding by training over the same area. In September 2024, a slow-moving system brought historic rainfall amounts and extensive flash flooding.
While flash flooding is common, other flood types have also impacted the county. There have been 40 general flood events, 4 coastal flood events, and 3 events categorized as hurricane or storm surge/tide over the same period. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A and Zone V have experienced a high number of claims, with average payouts around $8,000 and water depths of over one foot. Properties in Zone X, though fewer in number, have seen significantly higher average payouts, exceeding $28,000, with an average water depth of 2.4 feet.
Homeowners in coastal areas, those near rivers or streams, and properties located in flood zones designated as A or V should pay particular attention to flood risk. Additionally, residents in Zone X areas, which have experienced substantial flood damage despite not being in high-risk zones, should also be aware of their potential exposure.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
67 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Brunswick County, North Carolina has recorded 161 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 96 flash floods and 40 river or area floods. The county has received 35 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1984–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Sunset Drive Fire | Fire | May 2, 2025 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight | Tropical Storm | Sep 16, 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 0.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2024 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 1.00K |
Flash Flood — May 27, 2025
Showers and thunderstorms along a coastal trough began training over the same small area leading to flash flooding.
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 — 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 9, 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 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...
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 Brunswick 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 Brunswick 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.