Enter any address in Stokes County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Stokes County. Recent events include heavy rainfall in August 2025, which produced rainfall rates as high as 5 inches per hour in some storms, and significant rainfall in January 2024 due to a deep upper-level trough and moist southerly winds.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that while Zone A areas have experienced a higher number of claims, Zone X areas have seen higher average payouts and water depths. Properties located in areas designated as Zone A, Zone X, or with an unknown flood zone designation should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
28 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Stokes County, North Carolina has recorded 40 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods and 14 river or area floods. The county has received 25 federal disaster declarations. 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 |
| Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight | Tropical Storm | Sep 16, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Tropical Storm Eta | Severe Storm | Nov 12, 2020 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2025 | 150.00K |
| Flood | Sep 18, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Sep 17, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2024 | 325.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2024 | 350.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 50.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 21, 2025
A cluster of slow-moving thunderstorms passed across eastern Surry County and western Stokes County during the evening of August 21st. Rainfall rates within some of the stronger storms were observed to be as high as 5 inches per hour. The FLASH 3-hour ARI in the Town of King was observed to be as high as a 20-year event at 11 pm EDT, while the 3-hour QPE/FFG ratio was observed reaching 105.
Flood — Sep 18, 2024
A stationary front draped east to west across northern North Carolina provided the focus for training showers and thunderstorms during the evening of the 17th. Winds were from the east along the North Carolina & Virginia state border around high pressure centered over New England. The easterly windflow carried moist Atlantic air across Stokes and Rockingham Counties, with precipitable water v...
Flood — Sep 17, 2024
A stationary front draped east to west across northern North Carolina provided the focus for training showers and thunderstorms during the evening of the 17th. Winds were from the east along the North Carolina & Virginia state border around high pressure centered over New England. The easterly windflow carried moist Atlantic air across Stokes and Rockingham Counties, with precipitable water v...
Flash Flood — Sep 17, 2024
A stationary front draped east to west across northern North Carolina provided the focus for training showers and thunderstorms during the evening of the 17th. Winds were from the east along the North Carolina & Virginia state border around high pressure centered over New England. The easterly windflow carried moist Atlantic air across Stokes and Rockingham Counties, with precipitable water v...
Flood — Jan 9, 2024
A deep, negatively tilted upper level trough and associated occluded front passed from the central Mississippi River Valley on January 9th toward the lower New England region by the morning of the 10th. Strong southerly wind flow ahead of the upper trough carried deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico northward into the Carolinas and the lower Mid-Atlantic. Precipitable water values ranged from ...
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 Stokes 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 Stokes 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.