Enter any address in Lenoir County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Lenoir County, NC, with 39 such events recorded in the last 30 years. These can be exacerbated by the remnants of tropical systems. For example, flash flooding occurred in July 2024 due to slow-moving thunderstorms, and in August 2023, the remnants of Hurricane Idalia contributed to flooding. Tropical storms and hurricanes have also impacted the county, with 14 tropical storm events and 8 hurricane events recorded in the same period, resulting in a total of 8 fatalities across all flood types.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $62,849 and an average water depth of 1.8 feet. Claims in Zone X_UNSHADED also show significant payouts, averaging $71,027 with an average water depth of 2.8 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, Zone X_UNSHADED, and Zone X_SHADED should pay particular attention to flood risk, as these zones have experienced substantial flood damage and water intrusion.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
34 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lenoir County, North Carolina has recorded 73 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 39 flash floods and 12 river or area floods. The county has received 29 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1968–2026)
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 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 31, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 4, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 6, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 15, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 6, 2025
Slow moving thunderstorms produced isolated areas of flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Jul 11, 2024
Slow moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rain and several areas of flash flooding across Eastern NC.
Flash Flood — Aug 10, 2024
Several episodes of heavy rain lead to several instances of flash flooding.
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. Tropical Storm Debby then came ashore in South Carolina after stalling off the southeast coast for several days. Debby gradually progressed northward through central North Carolina and eventually into souther...
Flash Flood — Aug 31, 2023
Idalia developed near the Yucatan Channel on August 27th and meandered around for a couple of days before moving into the Gulf of Mexico on August 29th. Idalia rapidly intensified into a major hurricane before making landfall in the Florida Big Bend area as a category 3 hurricane with sustained winds near 125 mph. Idalia then continued northeast through the Southeast U.S., eventually moving off...
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 Lenoir 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 Lenoir 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.