Enter any address in Catawba County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding reported in Catawba County over the last 30 years, with 33 such events recorded. Recent examples include a flash flood event on January 9, 2024, caused by a complex frontal system bringing widespread rain, and another flash flood event on September 27, 2024, associated with Tropical Cyclone Helene.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $26,710 and an average water depth of 3.4 feet. While Zone X has fewer claims than Zone A, it has seen a higher average water depth of 5.5 feet in some instances, with an average payout of $22,986. Residents in Zone A, and those in Zone X with higher water depths, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
27 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Catawba County, North Carolina has recorded 45 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 33 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 21 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 (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 Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 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 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides | Flood | Jul 27, 2013 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 50.00M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 10.00M |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 2.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2020 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 15, 2020 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 1.00K |
Flash Flood — 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 ...
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 — 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...
Tropical Storm — Sep 30, 2022
Very gusty winds developed over the North Carolina Piedmont as Tropical Cyclone Ian made a second landfall as a minimal hurricane near Myrtle Beach during the afternoon of the 30th. Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph, with occasional gusts as high as 50 mph resulted in dozens of trees blown down throughout the area. Multiple trees fell on structures and vehicles, especially in the Charlotte ar...
Tropical Storm — Oct 29, 2020
Tropical moisture and heavy rain overspread western North Carolina throughout the 28th through the morning of the 29th as the center of Tropical Storm Zeta moved quickly from the mouth of the Mississippi River into the southern Appalachians. Strong winds developed across portions of western North Carolina during the morning, downing hundreds of trees across the area. Multiple trees fell on stru...
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 Catawba 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 Catawba 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.