Enter any address in Macon County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events are the most frequent type of flood recorded in Macon County over the past 30 years, with 18 such events documented. In addition to flash floods, 20 other flood events and one tropical storm have occurred. Recent examples include flash flooding in September 2024, associated with Tropical Cyclone Helene, and widespread flash flooding in February 2020, caused by prolonged heavy rainfall from a slow-moving frontal system.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $25,876 and an average water depth of 6.0 feet. Zone X also shows a significant number of claims, with an average payout of $27,195 and an average water depth of 0.8 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, particularly those located near waterways or in areas prone to rapid water level increases, should pay close 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.
Macon County, North Carolina has recorded 39 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 18 flash floods and 20 river or area floods. The county has received 17 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2026)
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, And Mudslides | Flood | Jul 3, 2013 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 1.50M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 500.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | 250.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2019 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Dec 28, 2018 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2018 | 3.00K |
| Flood | Dec 24, 2015 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Dec 23, 2013 | 0.00K |
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 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 — Apr 13, 2020
A strong storm system impacted the Southeast, resulting in an area of widespread heavy rain and embedded strong to severe thunderstorms that moved across western North Carolina during the late night and early morning hours. Localized flash flooding, some of which was quite significant developed across the mountains. Isolated severe weather also occurred, mainly in the form of damaging wind gust...
Flood — Feb 6, 2020
Unusually high levels of moisture for early February combined with a slow-moving frontal system to produce an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall across western North Carolina from the morning of the 5th until the early morning hours of the 7th. Intense rain rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and embedded thunderstorms developing along the front during the morning and a...
Flash Flood — Feb 6, 2020
Unusually high levels of moisture for early February combined with a slow-moving frontal system to produce an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall across western North Carolina from the morning of the 5th until the early morning hours of the 7th. Intense rain rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and embedded thunderstorms developing along the front during the morning and a...
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 Macon 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 Macon 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.