Enter any address in Lincoln County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Lincoln County, NC, with 21 such events recorded in the last 30 years. This is followed by general flooding (10 events) and tropical storm impacts (4 events). For example, slow-moving storms produced torrential rainfall and flash flooding in Lincolnton on July 9, 2025. Heavy rain showers also resulted in significant flash flooding along the upper French Broad River on August 16, 2021, in advance of Tropical Cyclone Fred.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced higher average water depths (6.3 ft) and significantly larger average payouts ($51,604) compared to Zone X properties, which had an average water depth of -2.6 ft and payouts of $5,852. Residents in areas designated as Zone A, or those located near rivers and streams, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
10 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lincoln County, North Carolina has recorded 35 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 21 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations, 1 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 |
| 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 | Jul 9, 2025 | 10.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 1.00M |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2021 | 0.50K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 300.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 11, 2018 | 1.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 9, 2025
Scattered thunderstorms developed across western North Carolina during the afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced brief strong-to-damaging wind gusts. Meanwhile, slow-moving storms produced torrential rainfall and flash flooding in the city of Lincolnton.
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 ...
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...
Flash Flood — Aug 16, 2021
Increasing moisture and southeast upslope flow well in advance of landfalling Tropical Cyclone Fred resulted in development of numerous showers across the high elevations of the Balsams and surrounding hours during the overnight and early morning hours. Heavy rain showers moving repeatedly over the same locations resulted in locally very high rainfall amounts of as much as 12 inches in just a f...
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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.