Enter any address in Caldwell County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Caldwell County, NC, with 64 occurrences recorded in the last 30 years. Other flood types include 13 general flood events and 2 tropical storm events. Recent examples include flash flooding on June 19, 2025, caused by slow-moving storms producing torrential rainfall, and heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Cyclone Helene on September 26-27, 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced 46 claims with an average payout of $22,907 and an average water depth of 3.3 feet. Properties in Zone X have had 18 claims, averaging $22,497 with a similar average water depth of 3.3 feet. Seven claims were filed from areas with an unknown flood zone designation, averaging $5,669 with a lower average water depth of 0.6 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in areas without a designated Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
33 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Caldwell County, North Carolina has recorded 79 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 64 flash floods and 13 river or area floods. The county has received 23 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1974–2026)
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 |
| 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 |
| Hurricane Florence | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2018 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2025 | 100.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 1.50M |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 26, 2024 | 40.00M |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2023 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 11, 2022 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Nov 11, 2022 | 0.50K |
Flash Flood — Jun 19, 2025
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms developed across the North Carolina Piedmont and foothills throughout the afternoon into the evening. A few of the storms produced brief damaging wind gusts. Slow storm movement resulted in torrential rainfall rates which led to flash flooding in Caldwell County.
Tropical Storm — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flash Flood — Sep 26, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flood — Jan 9, 2024
A major/complex frontal system brought widespread rain with embedded thunderstorms to western North Carolina, mainly during the afternoon of the 9th. Widespread rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches (with locally higher amounts) in around 12 hours resulted in numerous reports of flooding. Isolated severe thunderstorms also resulted in a number of damaging wind gusts reports over the Piedmont, along...
Flash Flood — Jan 9, 2024
A major/complex frontal system brought widespread rain with embedded thunderstorms to western North Carolina, mainly during the afternoon of the 9th. Widespread rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches (with locally higher amounts) in around 12 hours resulted in numerous reports of flooding. Isolated severe thunderstorms also resulted in a number of damaging wind gusts reports over the Piedmont, along...
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 Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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.