Enter any address in Polk County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is a significant concern in Polk County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 24 flash flood events, alongside 8 general flood events and 2 tropical storm events. For example, Tropical Cyclone Helene in September 2024 brought widespread heavy rain and thunderstorms to the region, contributing to both flood and flash flood conditions.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A and Zone X have experienced the most claims. Zone A claims averaged $52,131 with an average water depth of 9.0 feet, while Zone X claims averaged a higher $68,396 with an average water depth of 10.4 feet. Homeowners in these zones, as well as those in areas designated as Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
17 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Polk County, North Carolina has recorded 34 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods and 8 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 (1977–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Black Cove Fire Complex | Fire | Mar 19, 2025 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 6, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2019 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 15.00M (1 deaths) |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 1.00M |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 4.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2023 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 11, 2022 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 24, 2021 | 1.00K |
| Flood | May 19, 2020 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | May 19, 2020 | 2.00K |
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 — 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...
Flash Flood — Jun 20, 2023
Waves of showers and thunderstorms developed in the vicinity of a stalled frontal zone, and in the vicinity of the Blue Ridge escarpment in response to upslope flow. The result was localized areas of heavy-to-excessive rainfall, with anywhere from 5 to 10 inches reported over a 24-36 hour period. Isolated flash flooding developed across portions of the foothills and the Piedmont.
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 Polk 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 Polk 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.